Thieneman is an experienced three-year starter with loads of reps at free safety, slot cornerback, and in the box. He has a unique blend of size, speed, explosive traits, instincts, and ball production. His Combine performance — including a 4.35 40-yard dash, 41-inch vertical, and 10-foot-5 broad jump — was exceptional. NFL sources described his interviews as similarly impressive. A day-one starter in the NFL. His versatile skill set makes him a defensive coordinator's dream, with shades of Dax Hill, Alontae Taylor, and Jevon Holland in terms of versatility.

Logan Jones is an athletic, center-only prospect with adept run blocking skills best suited for a zone-oriented system. A four-year Iowa starter, Jones won the Rimington Trophy in 2025 on the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line. His short arms and middling play-strength will make it difficult to consistently anchor against NFL defensive tackles, but his explosive athleticism, mirroring ability, and polished technique mitigate those concerns in a wide zone scheme. He made a lot of pre-snap calls and is a savvy communicator at the line of scrimmage. Moved from defensive line to center in 2022 — a quick learner.

Roush is a versatile Y tight end with legitimate in-line capability. He brings physicality and core strength as a blocker that few TE prospects possess, paired with flexibility as an aggressive and smart route runner. The Combine was revelatory — a 267-pound man running a three-cone faster than Kyle Pitts and posting a 38.5-inch vertical forced evaluators to re-examine his ceiling. Comes from an elite football family (great uncle Merlin Olsen, Pro Football Hall of Famer). 30 consecutive starts to close his Stanford career. The fit that maximizes Roush is a traditional scheme that values inline tight ends wearing multiple hats — exactly Ben Johnson's offense.

Thomas is a dynamic, multi-faceted offensive weapon whose elite speed (4.28 forty) is the headline trait. He began his career at Mississippi State where he earned Freshman All-American honors as a returner, before transferring to LSU. His versatility — running routes from the slot, out wide, and from the backfield, taking jet sweeps, and serving as a returner — is his calling card. Bears HC Ben Johnson and assistant Francis St. Paul praised his competitive nature and energy. Considered a significant reach at #89 by most analysts (STTM had him ranked #254), but Ben Johnson's creative scheme is designed to weaponize exactly this type of player.

Muhammad is a long, athletic cornerback with the ability to match up in man coverage and the instincts to play zone. At 6'0" with excellent length, he is a press-man specialist with legitimate starting potential. He was ranked as a Day 2 prospect by multiple outlets including ESPN. Bears traded up from their original Round 4 slot to grab him. Muhammad's speed and length make him reminiscent of Zah Frazier, whom the Bears drafted in the previous cycle. With Tyrique Stevenson in the final year of his deal, Muhammad has a clear path to starting competition in 2027.

Elliott is an instinctive, high-motor linebacker who served as the defensive play-caller (green dot) at Arizona State — a strong football IQ indicator. He led the Sun Devils with 98 tackles, 14 TFL, and 7 sacks in 2025, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. He modeled parts of his game after 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and took film study extremely seriously. Bears scouts praised him as a "high-end intangible player" — smart, instinctive, passionate, and elite in makeup. STTM's biggest positive model outlier — taken at #166, ranked #121 on their board (A+ grade). Immediate special teams value with developmental upside at ILB.

Van den Berg is a fascinating developmental prospect with an unconventional path to the NFL. A native of South Africa, he began at Iowa Western Community College as a linebacker before transferring to Penn State as a defensive end and then moving to defensive tackle at Georgia Tech. His athleticism and positional versatility are his standout traits. Arm length is a concern for some scouts, but his explosiveness off the line and special teams contributions (including a blocked kick) make him an intriguing Day 3 add. Chad Reuter of NFL.com praised him as "an excellent athlete" who meets the Bears' need for defensive line depth. Bears traded their final two seventh-round picks to move up and get him.