Chicago Bears NFL Draft Review: Immediate Starters, Sleepers, and Long-Term Bets

In our projection, the Chicago Bears have two immediate starters from their 2026 NFL Draft class.

Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the 2026 NFL Draft having come and passed, it's a good time to reflect on the three-day event, which was nothing short of a roller coaster for Chicago Bears fans.

After the team selected Dillon Thieneman in Round 1, Bears fans thought they were going to get the heavy defensive draft they were wanting and expecting.

Instead, the Bears threw some curveballs on Day 2 that many fans were not pleased with. The lack of an EDGE notwithstanding, the Bears did rebound a bit on Day 3 with some solid picks.

Now, we're breaking down the entire class for you into categories and identifying which picks are immediate starters, and who are sleepers and long-term bets for the Bears.

Immediate starters

Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

S Dillon Thieneman, CB Malik Muhammad

There are few, if any, who will question the idea that Thieneman is an immediate starter. The Bears had a need at safety and the first-round pick is well-equipped to take it over immediately.

Muhammad isn't as guaranteed, but he's got a great shot because of the vulnerability of Tyrique Stevenson, who saw a reduced role in favor of Nahshon Wright last season after lackluster play.

Muhammad is a highly competitive guy who is going to bring the kind of fire to the cornerback competition Chicago needs. We're going out on a limb and say he's starting in Week 1.

Sleepers

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg. | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

DT Jordan van den Berg, LB Keyshaun Elliott

The Georgia Tech defensive tackle possesses athleticism that is off the charts, especially for a 310-pound lineman. Van den Berg registered a perfect 10.0 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) during the pre-draft process.

He has also shown promise as a run defender after posting a 79.5 Pro Football Focus grade last season, so he could see a role early in Chicago's suspect run defense.

Elliott garnered some hype from The Athletic's Dane Brugler, who said he viewed the Arizona State linebacker as a top-100 talent. Chicago got him 66 picks later than that, so this pick could be ridiculous value.

Elliott isn't a super athlete, but he displays an ability to defend versus the run and rush the quarterback. The former Sun Devil makes ball-carriers pay with his hard-hitting style, also.

Long-term bets

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

C Logan Jones, WR Zavion Thomas, TE Sam Roush

All three of these players may not find much of a role for themselves in Year 1.

Jones will compete with Garrett Bradbury for the starting job, but the veteran is likely to win out there. However, we would not be surprised to see Jones find his way to the starting job at some point. In the meantime, he should add more mass to his frame.

Roush is part of a crowded tight ends room that is highlighted by 2025 rookie sensation Colston Loveland and veteran Cole Kmet. The presence of those two players made the pick of Roush very surprising, but we could see the Stanford product being the eventual replacement for Kmet next season.

General manger Ryan Poles is already managing expectations for Thomas, as it may be difficult for Thomas to garner much of a role on offense in Year 1 because of the learning curve Ben Johnson's offense presents.

More likely than not, Thomas will contribute mostly as a returner in 2026 with an eye on possibly being more involved in the offense later this season or in 2027.