Chicago Bears’ Day 2 NFL Draft Picks Raise Questions After Strong Start

The Chicago Bears entered Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft with momentum after landing Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 overall, a pick widely viewed as one of the best values of Round 1.

General manager Ryan Poles carried that energy into the second round.

At No. 57, the Bears selected Iowa center Logan Jones, the 2025 Rimington Award winner and the top center in college football. Jones immediately steps into a competition with Garrett Bradbury for the starting job and projects as the long-term answer in the middle of Chicago’s offensive line.

That pick made sense on every level.

Drew Dalman’s unexpected retirement created a major void, and while trading for Bradbury stabilized things in the short term, his contract situation made it clear the Bears needed a future starter. Jones fits cleanly into head coach Ben Johnson’s system, which demands athleticism, intelligence, and consistency from the center position.

Then things got… interesting.

Bears Shock NFL Draft With Tight End in Third Round

After trading out of No. 60, the Bears used their next pick—No. 69 overall—on Stanford tight end Sam Roush. On paper, Roush is a solid addition. He’s a dependable, physical player who profiles closer to Cole Kmet than a dynamic mismatch weapon, and he should carve out a role in Johnson’s tight end-heavy offense.

But the process is fair to question.

Chicago passed on defensive line help—arguably its biggest remaining need—to add to a position that already has a defined depth chart. While sticking to the board is part of disciplined roster building, there’s a tipping point where need has to factor in.

That tension carried into the third round.

Bears Target Raw Offensive Weapon Over Defensive Line

At No. 89 overall, the Bears again leaned toward offense, selecting LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas. There’s no questioning his speed—he ran a 4.28 at the NFL Combine—but he enters the league as a projection. Thomas isn’t a polished receiver yet and profiles more as a gadget weapon than a traditional wideout.

It’s easy to see the vision, though.

With D’Andre Swift’s contract set to expire after the 2026 season and Kyle Monangai established as a power option, Thomas could evolve into a hybrid weapon out of the backfield. If that’s the plan, it’s a forward-thinking move, but one that requires patience.

And that’s the issue.

Using premium Day 2 capital on projection players while bypassing defensive reinforcements leaves the Chicago Bears with more questions than answers on that side of the ball.

Through two days, Chicago has added four rookies; three on offense.

That’s not what most expected.