The Chicago Bears picked a stud defensive back in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Dillon Thieneman played at Oregon and balled out while he was there. Thieneman became the first defensive player taken by the Bears since 2018, which is hard to believe.
After the first round, Bears fans are not going to like the answer general manager Ryan Poles gave when asked about the defensive line, which has not been addressed in what seems like years.
well, i do not love this answer pic.twitter.com/aX5nwS9uVn
— shea (@sheanorling) April 24, 2026
“The (defensive) line helps the back end more often than not,” Poles said. “In this situation, we have good corners and good safeties. We can be in a position where we can have the (opposing) quarterback hold the ball a little longer.”
Poles is right about the depth in the secondary. Chicago signed Super Bowl champion Coby Bryant from the Seattle Seahawks, and he and Thieneman will likely be the two starters at safety. At corner, the Bears still have Tyrique Stevenson, Jaylon Johnson, and Kyler Gordon. That is an elite unit.
The defensive line is a whole different story. Montez Sweat is really the only good edge rusher on the team. Grady Jarrett is a respectable defensive tackle, but they don’t have enough weapons there to make a significant impact. The defensive line hurt the Bears last season, and it is looking like it may do the same in 2026.
What will anger Bears fans is that Poles doesn’t seem keen on trying to fix it right now. It’s unlikely the Bears will find ways to force turnovers at the rate they did last season.
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