Skyler Thomas' Elite Grade Might Not Save Him From the Bears' Roster Crunch

It's far too early to judge the 2026 NFL draft class, but the early returns from the Chicago Bears' rookies are promising. 11 rookies made the Bears' initial 53-man roster this week, including four undrafted rookies. Speaking of undrafted rookies, defensive back Skyler Thomas was revealed to be one of the highest-graded rookies from the preseason by Pro Football Focus (PFF), earning an elite 84.3 mark.

"Thomas didn’t miss any tackles from 102 snaps on the field this preseason and came away with an interception in coverage," writes PFF analyst Gordon McGuinness. "The undrafted free agent out of Oregon State merited a 74.6 PFF coverage grade and saw 46 snaps on special teams, too."

That 84.3 overall grade made Thomas the 12th highest-graded rookie of the preseason, finishing just ahead of Buffalo Bills defensive end and second-round pick T.J. Parker and Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr., who flashed explosive playmaking potential.

That said, and even though he made the Bears' initial 53-man roster, Thomas may yet be released ahead of the Bears' Week 1 season opener against the Carolina Panthers, and not for no reason. Here's why.

1. The preseason is not the regular season

Chicago Bears S Skyler Thomas intercepts the ball in a game at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Thomas graded well in the preseason, he wasn't going up against top NFL talent like he would in the regular season. The Bears faced Cleveland's starters in preseason Week 1, sure, but the Browns are in the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft. Both the Bengals and the Titans sat most of their starters. Bears rookie defenders, like Thomas, were thus robbed of the chance to go up against elite NFL talent in a real (preseason) game.

It's simply not reasonable to expect Thomas to be that good when he has to provide help on receivers like Justin Jefferson or quarterbacks like Josh Allen. If he remains on the final roster for the season, Thomas will be in for a rude awakening.

2. The math isn't mathing

As aforementioned, four undrafted rookies made the Bears' initial 53-man roster. While that's a great accomplishment for all four of them, most teams simply don't carry that many undrafted rookies into the regular season, especially not teams with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. One thing in Thomas' favor in this regard is the fact that one of these undrafted rookies is Beau Gardner, the long snapper. Given his unique position, you can remove him from the equation.

But that still leaves three undrafted rookies on the roster, and the other two, defensive tackle Jayden Loving and tight end Hayden Large, are both likely to see more usage in the regular season than Thomas would. Head coach Ben Johnson loves using his tight ends, and Ryan Poles has spoken before of needing 'waves of pass rushers' along the defensive line.

3. The Bears may not be done adding to the roster

Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp on the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When looking at the rest of the roster, the Bears are already counting on a good number of young players and rookies making immediate impacts in 2026. For some players, that's a reasonable bet to make, but you don't want to place too many bets on youth and upside in a year in which you're expected to compete in the playoffs.

Look at the defensive line. The Bears already gambled big time by trading defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Falcons on Sunday. I don't believe they would have made that deal if their confidence in sixth-round rookie Jordan van den Berg wasn't sky-high. And maybe van den Berg will live up to their confidence in him, but it's a risky move nonetheless.

That's one big gamble on defense already, two if you count the aforementioned Jayden Loving. I'm not sure the coaches or the front office would feel comfortable making another in the secondary. With that in mind, I'm certain that the Bears are monitoring the roster cuts from the other 31 NFL teams and keeping an eye out for experienced defensive backs, such as Taylor Rapp, who was surprisingly released by the Broncos amid a flurry of roster moves last week.

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