The Chicago Bears head into the 2026 NFL Draft with plenty of flexibility. General manager Ryan Poles holds seven picks, including four in the top 89. While fans rightly point to edge rusher and defensive tackle as glaring needs, the secondary is flashing a massive warning sign.
Chicago needs a starting safety. You can only plug so many holes in free agency, meaning the draft is the last real opportunity to find an impact player for the back half of the defense. According to a recent mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay, the Bears might get aggressive to solve this exact problem. McShay predicts the Bears will trade up in the first round to secure Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
The Details of the Mock Trade For The Chicago Bears
In his latest mock draft, McShay has the Chicago Bears picking up the phone to call the Los Angeles Chargers. Chicago sends the No. 25 overall pick and their fourth-round pick (No. 129) to Los Angeles. In return, the Bears jump up three spots to No. 22 to draft Thieneman.
“Last season, the Bears allowed 61 completions of 20-plus yards (second most in the NFL) and 13 passing touchdowns of 20-plus yards (tied for the most), and four of their top five defensive backs in snaps—Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Nahshon Wright, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson—are now gone. Thieneman brings the range and coverage ability to help clean up those numbers and fill a positional need immediately. He’s both the best player available on my board and the type of rangy, coverage-oriented safety that DC Dennis Allen wants.”
Why give up a fourth-round pick to move up just three spots? The back half of the first round is packed with teams needing secondary help. By jumping to No. 22, Chicago leapfrogs potential safety-needy teams and secures a blue-chip prospect before he comes off the board. Poles has shown he is willing to maneuver around the draft board to get his guys, and parting with a mid-round pick is a small price to pay for a day-one starter.
Why Chicago Desperately Needs Safety Help
To understand this mock draft, you have to look at the massive exodus in the Chicago Bears’ secondary. The team lost both of their starting safeties this offseason. All-Pro Kevin Byard and physical enforcer Jaquan Brisker both walked in free agency.
The front office made a solid move by bringing in Super Bowl champion Coby Bryant to fill one of those empty spots. However, the other starting role remains completely vacant.
Beyond the roster turnover, the Bears struggled heavily against the deep ball last season. Chicago gave up 61 completions of 20 or more yards, which ranked second worst in the NFL. They also allowed 13 passing touchdowns of 20-plus yards, tying for the most in the league. You simply cannot survive in the modern NFL giving up explosive plays at that rate.
What Dillon Thieneman Brings to the Table
Thieneman is exactly the kind of player you draft to stop the bleeding in the secondary. The Oregon standout is widely considered one of the top safeties in the 2026 class, and for good reason.
He brings incredible range and elite coverage skills to the back end. While some safeties excel mostly as box defenders stopping the run, Thieneman is a true coverage-oriented defensive back. He reads the quarterback’s eyes well, closes ground quickly, and takes smart angles to the football. McShay notes that Thieneman is not just a positional need filler. He is the best player available on the board in this range.
Fitting Into Dennis Allen’s Defense
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen relies heavily on smart, rangy safeties to make his defensive scheme work. He wants playmakers who can handle deep coverage responsibilities without needing constant help over the top.
Pairing a rookie like Thieneman with a veteran ballhawk like Coby Bryant creates an ideal dynamic. Bryant can play aggressive, opportunistic football underneath, knowing he has a reliable center fielder in Thieneman protecting the deep half of the field.
The Bears led the league last year with 33 takeaways and 23 interceptions. If Poles pulls the trigger on this trade, Chicago puts itself in a prime position to maintain that turnover-heavy identity while fixing their deep passing flaws. We will find out soon enough if the Bears are willing to make this aggressive jump.
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