Day 1 of the NFL Draft is officially in the book as the Chicago Bears walked away with safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick. Thieneman was selected to be an immediate impact player, and the Bears hope they can find a couple more of those guys in Day 2.
Chicago is scheduled to pick three more times on Day 2, including two selections in the second round (Nos. 57, 60) and once in the third round (No. 89). With the safety position now secured, the Bears now shift their attention to other needs.
Again, Chicago will have to wait to see how the board falls, but for a team that now prioritizes defensive line, there will be options available for the Bears. Following Day 1, general manager Ryan Poles spoke to the media and weighed in on how he sees and feels the board going into Day 2.
“A lot of good options,” Poles said. “I’ll say this, this is probably the most aggressive we were in terms of guys that we really like. They have to play our style. They have to have the right makeup. In terms of our scheme fits, like all of that had to be there. If it wasn’t there, you’re off the board.”
Because of the aggressiveness, Poles sees the board slimmer, but also said it’s a good thing.
“When you look at it, it feels really thin. But that’s a good thing. I think it’s a really good thing because we’re very selective of who we want,” he said. “Now there are some historical numbers that I have that make me feel confident that there’s going to be guys that we like still available to us.”
These options listed below gauge the options that fit the Bears, in scheme, playstyle and character.
Best remaining defensive lineman
Arguments could be made that Chicago should have gone defensive line with the No. 25 overall pick. And that could have been the case had Thieneman not become available for the Bears. But the number of players still available in Day 2, Chicago should have their pick to thicken up the trenches.
Best remaining edge rushers
Other than Akheem Mesidor, every edge rusher Chicago had thought of wanting to draft was available, but with the best available mindset, the pick allowed them to shore up the back-end of the secondary. But Day 2 should prove to have options that fit the Bears’ play-style of versatile players, both against the run and in the pass rush.
Other options
Defensive tackle and edge rusher are undoubtedly the Bears’ main priorities, but with how Chicago operates, and who could be available, don’t count out a potential surprise. Here are some options:
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Best available for Bears at biggest needs on Day 2 of 2026 NFL Draft
Reporting by Preston Zbroszczyk , Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
