ESPN’s latest intel reveals Dillon Thieneman wasn’t the only defensive back the Bears were targeting early in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears were thrilled to land Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman in the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft and had a backup option they were targeting for the secondary if things didn’t work out.
The Chicago Bears could not have been more thrilled with how the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft ended up last week.
While fans expected the Bears to land a top pass rusher or left tackle of the future with the 25th overall pick, Chicago couldn’t live with themselves if they passed up on Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, who somehow fell right into their laps.
It was one of the biggest steals of the first-round, giving Chicago an All-Pro potential player to add to the secondary at a position of need. If Thieneman wasn’t available, Adam Hoge of CHGO noted Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk would have been the potential option for Chicago a pick No. 25.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted another defensive back was also on the team’s radar early in the draft, potentially even in the first-round.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reveals the Chicago Bears were high on Tennessee CB Colton Hood
The Bears eyed a trade-up in the second round but chose to stand pat. They were high on Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, who went No. 37 to the Giants. Chicago figured its No. 25 pick, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, would be gone in the top 20, so perhaps Hood would’ve been a viable fallback option there if Thieneman was off the board.
Jeremy Fowler
ESPN
Going into the draft, I mentioned Colton Hood as my #1 Dark Horse Candidate to be selected with the 25th overall pick. Safe to say I was on the right track with that line of thinking based on ESPN’s latest report.
Hood would have been the perfect outside cornerback for Chicago and an immediate upgrade opposite Jaylon Johnson. He’s a scrappy player that would have been perfect for Dennis Allen’s press-man and aggressive scheme.
Thieneman being on the board, however, made it a no-brainer decision for Chicago in the first-round. In the second-round, Chicago could have tried to move up for Hood, but it would have been very expensive considering he went 37th overall to the New York Giants.
The Bears also attempted to move up in the second-round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select running back TreVeyon Henderson but no deal ever materialized. But, this news proves Chicago had the outside cornerback position in mind early in the draft.
Bears still addressed the outside CB position on Day 3 by selecting Malik Muhammad
While the Bears weren’t able to land Hood early in the draft, Chicago eventually landed on a cornerback option when the team traded up in the fourth-round to select Malik Muhammad out of Texas. Muhammad is another tough and tall cornerback that fits the mold Allen and DBs coach Al Harris were searching for on the outside.
It won’t be a surefire answer, but Muhammad will get the opportunity to compete against Tyrique Stevenson, Zah Frazier, and Terell Smith for the starting role.
“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,” general manager Ryan 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.”
Sometimes, the draft has a funny way of working out and I’m sure the Bears are perfectly content exiting last weekend with Thieneman in the first-round, Muhammad at cornerback, and landing center Logan Jones instead with their original second-round pick.