How Many Bears Rookies Will Actually Make an Impact in 2026

The 2026 NFL draft is over, and while we won't know anything about this rookie class until they take the field in September, it's never too early to make projections. For the Chicago Bears, they appear to have hit another NFL draft home run. They pulled off the biggest Round 1 heist when they selected Dillon Thieneman at No. 25, a standout safety who had been expected to go in the early to mid-teens.

But that wasn't all. General manager Ryan Poles also broke with his usual draft strategy of stick-and-pick by trading up not once, but twice. Entering the 2026 NFL draft, Poles had only traded up once in four draft classes.

The Bears have been projected to need a good amount of help from their rookie class in order to advance beyond the Divisional round in 2026, but how many impact players did they select? Let's take a look.

1. Dillon Thieneman

This one's a no-brainer. The Bears needed a starting safety to pair up with Coby Bryant, and Ryan Poles delivered. Thieneman provides an exact fit in key ways for Dennis Allen's defense, and best of all, he shouldn't have even been available for the Bears. He will be an impact starter in 2026 and may even compete for a Pro Bowl nod.

2. Logan Jones

It's a good thing that Ryan Poles only sent away a future fifth-round pick when he traded for center Garrett Bradbury because any chance Bradbury had of being Chicago's starter in Week 1 is already gone. Drafting a center at No. 57 may have been a bit of a reach, but Iowa's Logan Jones was worth it, especially for a team as center-needy as the Bears.

Simply put, Jones is the best center prospect in at least two years, and an argument could be made that he's the best since Tyler Linderbaum in 2022. He started 51 games in the Big Ten, giving him both the experience and technique to be NFL-ready from Day 1. I expect Jones to take hold of the starting job by mid-August at the latest.

3. Malik Muhammad

Cornerback Malik Muhammad was the Bears' fourth-round selection after a rare trade-up by Ryan Poles, and he was a steal at that slot in the draft. He could stand to add some functional strength to his frame, but otherwise, he's got the size, measurements, and athleticism to be a quality starter on the boundary. I don't know if he'll start right away like the previous two players, but it shouldn't be long before he emerges as Chicago's CB2 opposite of Jaylon Johnson.

4. Sam Roush

The Bears threw their fans a curveball with their third selection of the draft, picking Stanford tight end Sam Roush. I wasn't a fan of this pick at first, but now that the dust has settled, it may in fact have been another example of Ryan Poles playing chess while the fans play checkers.

Roush is a plug-and-play 'Y' tight end and was one of the best blocking tight ends in the country. He'll be Chicago's TE3, a role held by the veteran Durham Smythe last year, who struggled mightily. Roush, on the other hand, is a better route-runner, catcher, and a dominant force when it comes to blocking. Ben Johnson runs 12 and 13-personnel packages (meaning plays with 2 or 3 tight ends on the field) more than almost anyone else in the NFL, so Roush should see plenty of action, even as a third-round rookie.

That's why Sam Roush earned Ryan Poles a solid draft grade. As ESPN's draft analyst Jeremy Fowler noted on X, good blocking tight ends are starting to earn between $7-9 million in free agency now. That makes Roush a sneaky good add for the Bears and a likely impact player in 2026.

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