Ryan Poles has his eyes set on a highly athletic defensive line prospect than can help continue a successful trend for the Bears
Washington interior defensive lineman Anterio Thompson has a 30-visit scheduled with the Chicago Bears.
The pre-draft process is gaining steam with less than a month until the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears have been busy between Pro Days and Top-30 visits to scout various prospects across the entire range of projections.
Most of the reported 30 visits the Bears have held have been with projected Day 3 prospects and potential UDFA options instead of top-ranked prospects in first-round consideration. It’s an intriguing process but one that can help continue a successful trend for Bears general manager Ryan Poles. The latest confirmed 30 visit scheduled with the team is a great example.
Bears scheduled to have a 30 visit with Washington DT Anterio Thompson
According to Ryan Fowler, the Bears are scheduled to host a 30 visit with Washington defensive tackle Anterio Thompson, a highly athletic prospect with a low draft projection. Thompson was a non-Combine invite but showed out at his Pro Day recording an unofficial 4.73-second 40-yard-dash at 306 pounds (which would have been the fastest among all DTs at this year’s NFL Combine).
With that kind of size, speed, and athletic ability, Thompson is the ideal defensive tackle for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system while showcasing impactful plays on special teams. The Bears need long-term depth at the position after signing three defensive tackles to one-year deals in free agency while Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett have uncertain futures with the team after 2026.
It’s not the first time the Bears came away impressed by a non-Combine player based on a Pro Day showing. Last year, the Bears drafted linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II in the fourth-round after seeing his speed on display at his Pro Day despite not being invited to the NFL Combine.
Thompson proved he was a prospect the league forgot about when it came to the combine invites and if the league forgets about him again during the draft, the Bears will be ready to pounce.
Ryan Poles has a great track record with seven-round picks and UDFA claims
The Bears currently have two seventh-round selections in the upcoming draft and Thompson could easily be a player worth considering with one of those two picks. Or, the Bears could test their luck and try to bring Thompson in as a priority undrafted free agent.
Either way, Poles has a great track record identifying talent in the final round and with players that fell out of the draft completely when you think about players such as Kyle Monangai, Jack Sanborn, Tyson Bagent, Elijah Hicks, Josh Blackwell, and Jaylon Jones.
If Thompson continues to impress the Bears at this 30 day, Chicago won’t forget about him, and should hope the rest of the league does, to get him at an insane value. He has the desired traits the Bears should be all over saying everything else about his profile checks out.
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