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Bears Draft Dillon Thieneman, Add Four Rookies

5/1/2026

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Summary

Poles Drafts

Bears GM Ryan Poles selected safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Chicago added Logan Jones (No. 57), Sam Roush (No. 66) and Zavion Thomas (No. 89), acquired cornerback Malik Muhammad by trading up, and obtained tackle Jordan van den Berg from Buffalo in the sixth round.
Dennis Allen and coach Ben Johnson expect the seven rookies to help after the Bears’ 11-6, NFC North-winning 2025 season.

Summary

Bears Cap Crunch

The Bears have $10.7 million in cap space, forcing contract restructuring before free-agent signings.
Their pass rush ranked 22nd in sacks and 29th in pressure-percentage last season.
A Maxx Crosby trade costing two first-round picks was dismissed.
Dayo Odeyingbo missed most of 2025 with a torn Achilles.
Montez Sweat posted 10 sacks, making veterans Joey Bosa, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd and Cameron Jordan unlikely signed because of $10.7 million cap gap.

History

Historical Context

In 1994 the NFL instituted its first hard salary cap, set at about $34.6 million, forcing teams like the Chicago Bears to restructure rosters. Since then caps have risen (e.g., $120 million in 2011) and include mandatory spending floors, making disciplined budgeting essential. Facing a $10.7 million shortfall in 2025, the Bears’ draft-heavy rebuild echoes the league’s long-standing parity goal.

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Poles Drafts

Bears GM Ryan Poles selected safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Chicago added Logan Jones (No. 57), Sam Roush (No. 66) and Zavion Thomas (No. 89), acquired cornerback Malik Muhammad by trading up, and obtained tackle Jordan van den Berg from Buffalo in the sixth round.
Dennis Allen and coach Ben Johnson expect the seven rookies to help after the Bears’ 11-6, NFC North-winning 2025 season.

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