Getty
LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS – JULY 28: General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears looks on during Chicago Bears Training Camp at Halas Hall on July 28, 2025 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears still have a lot to address on defense as the weeks tick down till the 2026 NFL Draft, and they could use some help.
The Bears’ defense ranked 29th in yards allowed per game (363.7), 29th in yards per play allowed (5.9), 23rd in points allowed per game (24.3), and 25th in touchdowns allowed per game (2.9) in 2025. That has to change.
Chicago did make one big-time addition during free agency on defense, signing former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal. But that won’t be enough.
That’s where a situation like what NFL.com’s Chad Reuter is predicting will happen during the first round that can completely flip the Bears’ defense with one single move.
Bears Predicted to Make Key NFL Draft Trade
Reuter has the Bears trading back five spots with the Miami Dolphins during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, in a deal where Chicago sends pick 25 and a fourth rounder to Miami in exchange for pick 30, the third-round pick they received from the Jaylen Waddle trade, and a fifth-round pick.
“Miami sends the first- and third-round picks it received in the Jaylen trade (as well as a fifth-rounder) to Chicago in order to acquire the explosive after-the-catch playmaker needed with Waddle gone (along with the Bears’ fourth-round pick).”
If the Dolphins are that desperate to trade up five spots, the Bears should absolutely make the trade back. Gaining an extra third- and fifth-round pick would be huge, which could eventually be packaged in a potential trade up during the draft or for an elite player later down the line.
The best part of Reuter’s mock draft is that he has the Bears drafting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at pick 30, writing, “The Bears luck into finding the athletic but tough-minded Thieneman available despite trading down for much-needed draft capital. He’ll be effective in the box and playing deep as a rookie.”
Thieneman solidified himself as a first-round pick during the NFL Combine, and while this move could address a huge need at strong safety next to Bryant, it’s extremely difficult to envision a reality where he drops to the 30th pick. Regardless, making a trade back for that kind of draft capital would be ideal for Chicago.
Dillon Thieneman is a SS prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.70 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 39 out of 1275 SS from 1987 to 2026.
Pending Pro Day.
Other Potential Prospects At No. 30
If Thieneman isn’t available, which is likely the case, the Bears should draft the best player available, even if it’s on offense.
Some might not agree with that take, but it’s the reason why the Bears now have Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III on the team. And that’s not going to change, according to general manager Ryan Poles.
“Philosophically, I feel the same, it’s going to be best player available,” Poles said. “On my board, I have yellow tags where we need to fill in, but at the same time, I do believe in the early rounds, you really do have to stick to the best player available.”
An ideal outcome is that the best player available on the Bears’ draft board is someone on defense, which could be the following prospects:
Zion Young, Edge, Missouri
Christen Miller, Defensive Tackle, Georgia
Avieon Terrell, Cornerback, Clemson
CJ Allen, Linebacker, Georgia
If not, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Chicago goes offense in round one. Fox Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt has the Bears drafting Arizona wideout Jordyn Tyson at pick 25, writing, “The Bears said goodbye to DJ Moore recently, so they could use another pass-catcher. Tyson’s a big-bodied guy, and I love the idea of quarterback Caleb Williams throwing to larger targets. Williams likes to improvise, and he does that well.”
Imagine people’s reactions if the Bears drafted a wide receiver in the first round … that’d be a huge mixed bag of emotions. Either way, the Bears have a chance to make some noise in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
More Heavy on Bears
Loading more stories