Bears, Ryan Poles, Nearly Pulled the Trigger on a Massive Second Round Trade-Up

The Chicago Bears considered getting aggressive via trade up for a specific cornerback in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears needed to address the cornerback position in the 2026 NFL Draft, and ultimately they did that with cornerback Malik Muhammad in the fourth round.

However, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Bears almost made an aggressive push for a cornerback earlier than that.

The NFL insider reports that the Bears explored a trade up in the second round for Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, who was drafted by the New York Giants with the 37th pick.

Fowler also thinks Hood might have been a "viable fallback option" if Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman wasn't on the board in Chicago's first-round spot.

"The Bears eyed a trade-up in the second round but chose to stand pat," Fowler reported. "They were high on Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, who went No. 37 to the Giants. Chicago figured its No. 25 pick, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, would be gone in the top 20, so perhaps Hood would've been a viable fallback option there if Thieneman was off the board."

What a trade up for Hood would've looked like

Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Colton Hood. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Because Hood went No. 37 to the Giants, the Bears would have had to trade up to the 36th pick or higher. A deal to move up that high would have begun with the No. 57 pick.

According to the NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, Chicago would've had to make up a 210-pount or more difference between their pick and any pick from No. 36 or higher.

Such a deal would have involved the Bears giving up their third-round selection on top of the second-round pick while getting back a Day 3 selection. It's very possible another pick or two would've been involved in the deal, also.

A draft-changing scenario

Iowa offensive lineman Logan Jones. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If the Bears make that trade, it would have completely flipped Chicago's draft on its head.

Chicago still would have had the No. 60 pick in the scenario we just laid out, but the Bears ended up trading that selection to the Tennessee Titans to get an extra third-rounder. It's certainly safe to assume that trade would have still happened if Chicago had moved up in the second round and lost the only third-round selection the team had at the time.

In the Round 2 trade up scenario, maybe the Bears stand pat at 60 and take Logan Jones. Or, it's possible with the Titans trade that Chicago never drafts Jones at all.

Either of those scenarios also means the Bears get one or none of the third-round duo of tight end Sam Roush and wide receiver Zavion Thomas.

And Chicago's fourth-round pick obviously wouldn't have been Muhammad, so that round's selection would look different, also.

All of that and we didn't mention the other trade possibilities that could have opened up for Chicago while going down the path the team didn't end up taking.