Predicting Week 1 roles for Bears’ 7 draft picks — Ben Johnson added high-quality depth, but how soon will they contribute?
The Chicago Bears drafted for the future in the 2026 NFL Draft with seven new selections set to join the roster, but some will have a chance to be impact contributors immediately for this team.
The Chicago Bears had an impressive haul during the 2026 NFL Draft if you can look at the sheer amount of talent general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson added to the roster and ignore where they were selected.
In all seriousness, I believe in the vision Johnson is putting in motion for his team going into his second season, both in the short-term and in the long-term.
This seven player draft class allowed the Bears to add impact players to the roster, whether they impact the team in Year 1 or Year 3. With that being said, let’s breakdown each selection and the Week 1 role they can bring as rookies.
Dillon Thieneman – High-end starter, All-Pro potential
Dillon Thieneman is going to be a Day 1 starter for this defense starting alongside Coby Bryant at the safety position. Beyond that, I see Thieneman being a high-end starter right from the jump with eventual All-Pro potential in this system.
What Dennis Allen can do with Thieneman’s versatility is going to be fun to watch. Seeing Thieneman’s play-making ability and what he does on the field will be even more exciting.
“I really do think he’s going to be a guy – one of those few – one of those rare safety types that coordinators are going to have to account for.” Johnson explained of Thieneman.
Logan Jones – Backup, eventual long-term starter
When the Bears drafted Logan Jones in the second-round, they were simply shoring up the long-term plans at the center position with veteran Garrett Bradbury likely to start out of the gate given his experience. I will say though, never say never.
Already, Johnson has been impressed with Jones’ mental makeup and believes he can catch on quickly. Will it be quick enough to actually compete for the Week 1 job?
“The mental is top notch,” Johnson said. “We saw all the traits that we’re looking for, whether it’s the run game or in pass-pro, and we brought him in for a top 30, and I think that’s when it really solidified it for us that ‘yeah, he’s got the makeup.’ The guys at Iowa were raving about him, and then just the next level in terms of the football IQ as well. So, I think none of us have any qualms that he’ll be able to download the information and, once again, it’s just another spot that we’ll have high-level competition at.”
Sam Roush – Role player, special teams
Projecting the Week 1 role for tight end Sam Roush isn’t a simple answer. If the Bears trot out on the opening snap in 13 personnel, Roush is technically a Week 1 starter for this team. To keep it simply, Roush will be a designed role player as a rookie solely in 13 personnel playing behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet.
The other thing Roush brings is plenty of special teams ability. He played over 500 special teams snaps in his college career and can be plenty involved in that area.
Zavion Thomas – Gadget weapon, starting returner
Johnson was fired up about adding Zavion Thomas and his 4.2 speed that “doesn’t grow on trees,” but finding a consistent offensive role will be hard to do immediately with Thomas listed behind Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Kalif Raymond. But, he will still have an offensive role in some capacity.
“Whether it’s running routes, or getting handoffs, and then the returning aspect of it – I think it all adds up,” Johnson said of Thomas. “Coach Randle El, myself, Press Taylor, we all have a vision of how this guy could really help us… He’s a guy that we feel can be a really key component of what we want to do.”
As a returner, Thomas will be an immediate starter, both on kick and punt returns. That speed is even more of a weapon on special teams and the Bears will look to harness that.
Malik Muhammad – Fringe starter, rotational CB
The Bears kicked around the idea of drafting an outside cornerback earlier in the draft to ease all concerns about the outside CB2 spot opposite Jaylon Johnson. That addition didn’t come until the fourth-round when Chicago traded up to select Malik Muhammad.
We can pencil him in as a Day 1 starter, yet, but he will be competing for that starting position against Tyrique Stevenson, Zah Frazier, and Terell Smith. Even if he doesn’t win the starting job, the Bears will surely mix him in as a rotational cornerback.
“We like the way that he covers. We like the play style. And we think there’s room for him to continue to improve too,” Poles said of Muhammad. “So, add competition to the corner room and we think that he can positively impact us and give us more depth early as he grows into something bigger. We’ll see how that goes.”
Keyshaun Elliott – Backup, special teams
Given the makeup of the current linebacker room, Keyshaun Elliott won’t be a starter for this team. Even in base personnel, the starting trio at linebacker with be Devin Bush, T.J. Edwards, and D’Marco Jackson.
However, the Bears learned the hard way last season how important it is to have high-quality depth at this position. Elliott should catch on quickly and have starting upside if someone were to go down while also contributing on special teams as early as Week 1.
“A player that [brings] a physical brand of football. Has really good size, can run,” Poles said of Elliott. “His ability to play both linebacker positions and also help on special teams… which is going to help him make the active roster.”
Jordan van den Berg – Rotational defender
Last, but certainly not least, we have Jordan van den Berg. The sixth-round defensive tackle likely won’t be competing for a starting job against Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett.
However, he has a strong shot to challenge the veterans in that room as the first man off the bench to rotate in, both as a situational pass rusher and against the run. The Bears love the athleticism he can bring to that position and will find a way to get him involved.