Chicago Bears NFL Draft Grades: Reaches on Day 2 bring down strong start and finish for Ryan Poles

The Chicago Bears' 2026 draft class is a tale of sharp contrasts: a stellar first-round pick in Oregon safety Dylan Thienemann earns an A-plus, but the second and third rounds are marred by high-risk, low-value selections that undermine the overall grade. Host Lauren Cox delivers a scathing critique of the Bears’ second-round center Logan Jones (57th overall), third-round tight end Sam Roosh (69th), and especially third-round wide receiver Zavion Thomas (89th), calling the latter a near-universal 'F' due to his massive drop from projected seventh-round status and lack of NFL-caliber production. Cox argues that the Bears traded away value by reaching for players who weren’t the best fits or most efficient uses of their draft capital—especially when better alternatives were available later in the draft. Yet, the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds redeem the class with strong value picks: cornerback Malik Muhammad, linebacker Keyshawn Elliott, and defensive tackle Jordan Vandenberg, all of whom were traded up for and represent solid scheme fits. The overarching failure, however, is the Bears’ continued neglect of the defensive line—despite being willing to trade up for other positions, they made no effort to address edge rusher depth. This intentional omission, Cox argues, reflects a roster malpractice that drags the entire draft down to a C-plus grade.