The Chicago Bears selected seven players during the 2026 NFL Draft, which included some explosive playmakers, steals and potential late-round gems.

The Bears landed a steal in the first round with safety Dillon Thieneman, who upgrades the secondary in a massive way. Chicago also added some new toys on offense for head coach Ben Johnson, including center Logan Jones, tight end Sam Roush and wide receiver Zavion Thomas on Day 2. The Bears also added some high upside rookies in cornerback Malik Muhammad, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg on Day 3.

Now that Chicago has its 2026 draft class in place, it’s time to dive in and take a look at what the Bears have in their new rookies. We’re taking a closer look at the Bears’ draft class, including breakdowns, player profiles, scouting reports from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and comments from the Bears on all seven selections.

Breakdown: Teach-tape level tackler with impressive speed and football IQ. May need to bulk up at the NFL level but improved in both coverage and run defense in 2025. Alignment versatile prospect who can line up in the box, nickel or deep safety without cause for concern. Ideal vision and coverage acumen. Athleticism translated to field drills at the NFL combine. -- Ayrton Ostly

Fit: Thieneman is a plug-and-play safety for the Bears on Day 1 following the departures of both starting safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker in free agency. Thieneman is a versatile safety who thrived in coverage and as a run stopper. He has elite instincts and playmaking ability that should make him a difference maker in Dennis Allen's defense. -- Alyssa Barbieri

Dane Brugler's Scouting Report: A one-year starter at Oregon (and three-year starter overall), Thieneman was a hybrid safety in former defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi’s scheme and wore a variety of hats (deep middle, robber, nickel etc.). A productive post safety at Purdue for two seasons, he transferred to Eugene for his junior season and earned a 2025 All-America nod for the Ducks, with both of his interceptions clinching victories late in a game (Penn State and Washington). He collected more than 300 combined tackles in three college seasons and averaged 7.9 tackles per start.

With his open-field athleticism, Thieneman has a lot to offer in the NFL because of his versatility making plays over the top in coverage or downhill versus the run. He shows impressive range and anticipation from the deep half of the field, as well as the intelligence to understand what opponents are trying to do. Although he doesn’t always play up to his testing numbers, he can guard both sidelines and sort through routes. He can clean up some things in the run game, too — he has a nose for the ball and doesn’t hesitate flying to the contact point.

They Said It: "Dillon's tape popped out. Just the sense of urgency that he plays with, the speed. We talk about taking the air out of the defense or out of the offense. His ability to close on the football, both in the run and the pass, stood out really, really quick. As we watched it, the comments you could hear: This guy is obsessed with football, plays fast. He's extremely smart, great leader and violent in the way that he plays the game. Everything that we're looking for. Then on top of that, you have some versatility. If he has to, he can go over and play a little bit of nickel. He can play free (safety). He can play strong (safety). Really good fit for what we're trying to do.” -- GM Ryan Poles

Grade: A+ The reason for the perfect grade is because general manager Ryan Poles never got anxious, never felt the need to trade up, and let Thieneman fall in their laps when he was frequently mocked to not be on the board leading up to the draft. Thieneman's playmaking ability, excellence in coverage at the safety position, and even more, clean tackling ability will make him a Day 1 starter after being a first-round pick, barring any extreme circumstances. Chicago knew what they needed to get done, and they got a player who wasn't expected to be there at their selection, it's a win-win across the board for both sides. -- Mike Pendleton

Breakdown: Undersized but extremely athletic center prospect. Great burst and fast feet. Four-year starter at center. Short arms didn't limit him much as a pass blocker but may show up more at the NFL level. May struggle to seal blocks in the run game. Bigger, longer defensive tackles will give him trouble. --Aryton Ostley

Fit: The Bears landed a Day 1 starter at center in Logan Jones, who started 51 career games at Iowa. Chicago acquired Garrett Bradbury via trade after Drew Dalman's surprise retirement, but Jones might challenge Bradbury for the starting job as a rookie. -- Alyssa Barbieri

Dane Brugler's Scouting Report: A four-year starter at Iowa, Jones was a fixture at center (right-handed snapper) in offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s zone-blocking scheme. After enrolling as a 260-pound defensive tackle, he made the transition to center and admirably filled Tyler Linderbaum’s shoes. He gave up only one sack over his junior and senior seasons and had a prolific 2025 season, taking home the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center. He was a significant factor in the Hawkeyes winning the 2025 Joe Moore Award as college football’s best offensive line.

Jones is lightning quick in his snap-to-step process and has an instinctive feel for leverage and blocking angles. With his vise-grip hands, he can latch, drive his feet and torque defenders to create running room. Though he has terrific range and recovery quickness, his lack of length stands out on reach blocks and when attempting to combat powerful defensive tackles in a phone booth. His competitive temperament and toughness are unquestioned — he taught himself to snap with his left hand while managing a right-hand injury in 2024.

They Said It: "We felt convicted as a staff, coaching staff and personnel side, that he was our guy. The mental is top notch. We saw all the traits that we're looking for, whether it's the run game or in pass-pro, and we brought him in for a top 30, and I think that's when it really solidified it for us that ‘yeah, he's got the makeup.’ The guys at Iowa were raving about him, and then just the next level in terms of the football IQ as well. So, I think none of us have any qualms that he'll be able to download the information and, once again, it's just another spot that we'll have high level competition at.” -- HC Ben Johnson

Grade: B+ - There were other options at the center position for Chicago, but they identified Jones as their target and he brings a credible resume to the Windy City with a potential opportunity to compete for the starting job as a rookie. Jones took over Tyler Linderbaum at Iowa, no easy task, and went on to be a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection, and the aforementioned All-American for his stellar season this past year. The center position is one of the most important in Ben Johnson's offense, and they wanted to make sure to bring in a player who could be there for the long run. -- Mike Pendleton

Breakdown: One of few tight ends in this class who is a plus blocker from day one. Very, very short arms may cause some trouble with blocking NFL assignments but he has the power and burst to get there. Transitions out of breaks well in route running. Not elusive in the open field but strong enough to break tackles against smaller defenders. Lacks production from college. -- Aryton Ostley

Fit: Sam Roush will bring toughness and physicality to Ben Johnson's offense. He's also an elite blocker with plenty of upside. Roush will serve as a complement to last year's top-10 pick Colston Loveland. But Roush's selection also puts Cole Kmet's future in question beyond 2026. -- Alyssa Barbieri

Dane Brugler's Scouting Report: A three-year starter at Stanford, Roush worked primarily inline as an attached Y tight end in former head coach Frank Reich’s offense. After not playing football until high school, he made up for lost time and produced improved tape each season — as both a receiver and blocker — for the Cardinal. He doesn’t have much “wow” on that tape, but his combine performance opened some eyes.

With his rugby background, Roush prides himself on trying to be the toughest and most physical player on the field. He works to center his blocks and strains to sustain, even moving defensive linemen against their will at times. As a pass catcher, his quickness at the snap helps him uncover in the short-to-intermediate parts of the field, although his catch-point consistency must improve (12.5 percent drop rate in 2025).

They Said It: "He's a finisher through the whistle. I think that showed up on a consistent basis. It didn't matter who he was blocking, could be a big guy, could be a little DB, and he consistently finished through the whistle each and every play. You always love it when you when you take a player and you get a text message from somebody, one of his coaches at Stanford, said, 'He will crush himself to do whatever he can to help the football team.' And it just verifies what you all already thought about the player. So, feel good about that one." -- HC Ben Johnson