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Through two days of NFL Combine workouts, one thing seems pretty clear: the best defensive position players in the 2026 NFL Draft class aren’t up front. They’re at linebacker and safety.
A day after the linebackers set Lucas Oil Stadium on fire, the safeties did the same, putting on a clinic for the 32 teams in attendance.
Which leaves us with an important question: Does this change the Chicago Bears’ priorities in the draft?
Let’s get into it.
1. Some tall cornerbacks could be on the table on Day 2.
Since 2008, when he was a secondary coach with the New Orleans Saints, teams that employed Dennis Allen drafted 23 defensive backs. 15 of them were at least six feet tall. Not a single one measured in at shorter than 5-11.
With that cutoff in mind, a few taller cornerbacks stood out for various reasons in Friday’s workouts and might give the Bears something to think about as early as Round 2.
Florida’s Devin Moore ran a very solid 4.5-second 40 time for his 6-3 frame, and his movement skills look much better on film than they did when he was getting out of the blocks.
Meanwhile, Washington’s Tacario Davis, who measures in at just under 6-4, blew the doors off his workout thanks to a 4.41 40 and solid jumps. Basically, this guy has the wingspan and catch radius of a small airplane, which lead to him racking up 15 passes defended in 2023 when he was with Arizona. He didn’t look as good as you might like as far as tracking and catching the ball on Friday, but it’s hard to ignore the tools. Give him to Al Harris, and see what he can do. Those Washington defensive backs tend to be pretty good.
2. Dillon Thieneman might have put himself out of Chicago’s range
The Oregon safety was already viewed as a top safety prospect in this draft. But wherever you might have had him in your latest mock draft, it probably wasn’t high enough.
His massive day on the track (4.36 in the 40) and explosive jumps may have him firmly ahead of Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, whose more pedestrian testing was fine but not inspiring, in the pundits’ eyes after today.
Interestingly, two of the Bears’ NFC North rivals—the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions—are also in the market for safety help, and it’s hard not to see Thieneman fitting in potentially as a Harrison Smith replacement or as a running mate for the likes of Brian Branch and Jack Campbell on a dangerous Lions defense.
As far as McNeil-Warren goes, I wouldn’t rule him out as an option for Chicago at No. 25 (provided there isn’t a defensive front player they like better at that spot). His speed and ability shows up in pads, and his physicality as a hitter isn’t something you can measure in shorts. Pair him with a veteran like Kevin Byard, and he could be an instant impact player in the vein of Nick Emmanwori from last year.
Then again, if Thieneman somehow made it to the Bears at No. 25, they might sprint that card to the podium. He really looks like one of them ones.
3. Bears must play to the strength of the draft
The last few days have made it clear where the best players in this class are—and where its weaknesses are.
This is not a very year to need a dynamic defensive tackle, unfortunately, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bears address the position with veterans rather than a first-round pick. Meanwhile, there might be a whole host of safeties and linebackers that would step in and immediately contribute if given the opportunity. With that in mind, there might also be some real trade-back opportunities with a draft this deep and with defense clearly being back in vogue.
The goal of this draft is not to fill needs. It’s to grab really good players. That’s what they did last year by taking a tight end (Colston Loveland) No. 10 overall last year and a wide receiver (Luther Burden III) at No. 39 when they already had two really good ones on the roster.
To me, that means being prepared to grab multiple linebackers or safeties. They’re just too good this year.
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