Bears go defense in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft

After getting knocked out of the NFL Playoffs in the divisional round the Chicago Bears now turn their attention to an important offseason.

The Bears need to make some big upgrades on defense if they want to go deeper in the postseason next year, and NFL.com draft guru Daniel Jeremiah agrees.

In his latest first-round mock for 2026, Jeremiah has the Bears spending the No. 25 overall pick on Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman:

“The Bears figure to be in the safety market with the contracts expiring for Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson,” Jeremiah wrote. “Thieneman can play both safety spots and could cover in the slot if needed.”

Thieneman would be a huge boost for the Bears, even if they’re able to keep one of their veteran safeties from hitting free agency. Byard feels like the better bet to return for another season in Chicago, but Thieneman would pair well with either him or Brisker.

It’s interesting to see the Bears pass on help for their defensive front in this mock, though. Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods was still on the board in this projection, and he’s exactly the kind of disruptive force Chicago needs inside.