Did the Chicago Bears Do Enough to Improve Their Defense in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2025 season was successful for many reasons for the Chicago Bears. The offense saw rapid growth in the first year under Ben Johnson. However, the defense did not see the same success. In the passing game, they were unable to stop anyone, as they struggled with consistency and injuries. The run game was just as bad as opposing teams could do whatever they wanted. If the Bears wish to return to the playoffs in a competitive NFC, then finding a way to limit opposing offenses is the first step.

Heading into the draft, many agreed that the defense, mainly at safety and defensive line, was one of the areas that needed the most help. Chicago acted quickly by selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. The 21-year-old's agility, speed, and coverage skills make him a perfect fit for the system that the Bears want to run. They did not follow up on defense until the fourth round, when they picked Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad. His ability to recognize routes, as well as his strong speed, offers the Bears a high-quality option to compete for the last starting cornerback spot. With these two picks, the team has very quickly strengthened the secondary, which was a need after many of their key players left this offseason. 

The secondary should see major improvements in 2026. Thieneman and Muhammad are both excellent athletes who bring physicality and speed that Chicago lacked in 2025. Their tackling abilities are also both major needs, as the Bears struggled with bringing players down. Thieneman has more hype and brings an immediate impact as a high-quality starter. Muhammad will have to deal with fierce competition, but his talent gives him a good shot at seeing meaningful playing time in his first year. Not only do they help stabilize the secondary for 2026, but they also give the Bears two building blocks for the secondary for years to come.

Moving on to the next pick, Chicago used its fifth-round selection on Arizona State linebacker Keyshaun Elliot. The 22-year-old should serve as a solid backup option due to his ability to stop the run, as well as his splash in the pass rush. Linebacker was not a major need, as the team signed numerous players at the beginning of the offseason. However, after the number of injuries they faced in 2025, adding quality players is never a bad thing. The unit already was looking better than last year, so adding the former Arizona State star only makes it deeper and better. He seems to be a pure depth move, which means most of his playing time will be on special teams. Despite this, the depth and talent in the linebackers should be a strength for this defense.

The Bears' final pick of the draft was one fans had been waiting for, as in the sixth round, they finally addressed the defensive line by selecting Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg. The 24-year-old is an elite athlete who brings a much-needed spark to the defense. Unfortunately, he may be a bit of a project in order to turn his athleticism into consistency. This move has potential, but it does not fix the defensive line issues. The lack of investment has been disappointing, and the draft did nothing to help that. Unless they get active after the draft, the defensive line is set to be nearly the exact same as last year. This is unacceptable, as they were bullied in the run game and could rarely put pressure on opposing offenses. If the former Georgia Tech star is able to quickly adapt to the NFL, then that would go a long way toward making the defense successful. However, as of now, the unit is once again set to be the weakness of the team.

Overall, the defense looks to be in a better place than it was last offseason. On paper, the secondary looks to have more depth and has gotten faster and more physical. Adding another quality option only helps strengthen the linebacker position, which was already strong due to free agency. Those two groups will go a long way in improving the defense.​ The lack of effort in improving the defensive line is concerning, but it shows that Chicago must feel confident about their current options. However, due to the improvements on the rest of the defense, if the line can at least offer decent play, then that could be enough. While it would have been nice to add more difference makers, the Bears still used the draft well to add a wave of young talent to the roster.