Risky prospects with sky-high ceilings who could make or break the Chicago Bears’ 2026 NFL Draft class
The Chicago Bears made some questionable selections during the 2026 NFL Draft but the vision for those controversial picks can make sense after hearing from general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson.
The Chicago Bears had some controversial moves made during the 2026 NFL Draft that many fans weren’t initially thrilled about as the class started to come together.
After taking a step back and reassessing the decisions made by general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson, I can see the vision the two had in putting this draft together.
Out of the seven selections, I feel really strong about safety Dillon Thieneman, center Logan Jones, tight end Sam Roush, and defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg being future impact players for this team. As for the other three picks, I view them as risky prospects with sky-high ceilings that can make or break this entire class.
WR Zavion Thomas
Let’s start with easily the team’s most controversial selection of the draft. According to NFL consensus draft rankings, the Bears heavily reached on the speedy LSU wide receiver when the team selected Thomas with the 89th overall pick in the third-round.
Thomas was projected as a late seventh-round or potentially even UDFA option. Unfortunately, that’s something Bears fans are used to hearing during draft weekend since general manager Ryan Poles took over. However, Thomas could be different.
Head coach Ben Johnson really really likes this guy and what he can bring to the entire football team with his speed.
“Those guys don’t grow on trees,” Johnson said of Thomas. “It’s easy to look at when it flashes up and everyone sees it, but yet when you turn on the tape, it’s more than just being able to run deep routes. The versatility that he showed – both at Mississippi and LSU – from the backfield, whether it’s running routes, or getting handoffs, and then the returning aspect of it. I think it all adds up.”
The problem, as Poles laid out, is how will the Bears actually get this guy on the field outside of returning kicks and punts? The Bears have three promising wide receivers in Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Kalif Raymond while having three solid tight ends in Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and Sam Roush to use in 12 and 13 personnel packages. Johnson has a vision for what Thomas can be and we’ll see how he manages to actually make that work with the rest of the weapons he has to feed.
CB Malik Muhammad
The Bears traded up in the fourth-round to draft former Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad. Outside cornerback was a need for this team after letting Nahshon Wright walk in free agency. The Bears got great value with Muhammad.
He has the ability to line up outside or even kick inside in dime packages. This guy has Day 2 talent and the skillset in press-man the Bears were looking to add to the position.
“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.”
Muhammad will enter a competition with Tyrique Stevenson, Zah Frazier, and Terell Smith for the starting outside position. Even if someone like Stevenson wins the job, it’s great to have that depth, as the Bears learned the hard way during the 2025 season. If Muhmmad wins the job and stands out opposite Jaylon Johnson, that’d be awesome.
LB Keyshaun Elliott
In the fifth-round, the Bears added yet another linebacker to the mix in Arizona State’s Keyshaun Elliott, again at a steal on Day 3. Elliott has promising traits and was a leader at the second level with a downhill trigger. He fits everything Dennis Allen wants at LB.
“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.”
The problem is, Elliott was the fourth linebacker the Bears added this offseason (Devin Bush, D’Marco Jackson, Jack Sanborn) while still having T.J. Edwards listed as one of the starters. Chicago also drafted Ruben Hyppolite II in the fourth-round the year before. There’s a lot of depth in that room, which is a good thing. It also will make it tough for Elliott to stand out. However, he has the traits to be an eventual starter and green dot player down the line.