The Chicago Bears landed one of the top defensive players on their board when they took Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. They also considered trading up for another after his selection.
Following the second day of the draft, Bears general manager Ryan Poles admitted that he and his staff had explored their options for moving up into the top part of the second round but found “it wasn’t really possible to get up that high without giving up a ton.”
Most assumed that Poles had wanted to trade up to land one of the edge rushers who had fallen out of the first round, such as Clemson’s T.J. Parker. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, though, the Bears were “high” on Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood.
“The Bears eyed a trade-up in the second round but chose to stand pat,” Fowler wrote in April 30’s post-draft intel notebook. “They were high on Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood, who went No. 37 to the Giants. Chicago figured its No. 25 pick, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, would be gone in the top 20, so perhaps Hood would’ve been a viable fallback option there if Thieneman was off the board.”
Colton Hood Could Have Started Day 1 for Bears Defense
Fans with their hearts set on defensive linemen might not have loved the Bears trading up in the second round for another defensive back, but Chicago would have acquired another Day 1 starter in Hood if Poles had liked the price and swung a move-up deal.
Hood is a physical boundary cornerback who thrives in man-heavy coverage, leaning on his length and disruptive instincts to hound receivers at the line of scrimmage and fight for 50-50 balls thrown his way. He also possesses good closing speed and an attacker’s mindset when it comes to triggering downhill and tackling in one-on-one situations.
“Hood embraces press-man challenges and is the type of balanced, scrappy athlete who can attach himself to receivers and make things difficult for the offense,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote of Hood. “He has the talent and wiring to be an early NFL starter.”
In Chicago, Hood would have competed right away with Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith for the No. 2 outside cornerback job opposite All-Pro starter Jaylon Johnson. He would have likely entered training camp as the frontrunner for the starting job, given that Stevenson is entering a contract year and coming off two inconsistent campaigns.
The Bears did not walk out of the draft empty-handed at cornerback, though.
Bears Landed Potential Steal in CB Malik Muhammad
The Bears did not trade up for Hood in the second round, but they did swing a deal on Day 3 of the draft to land another cornerback who could push for a role in their lineup.
Early on the draft’s final day, the Bears swapped picks with the Carolina Panthers to move up five spots in the fourth round (from No. 129 to No. 124) and slide back 22 spots in the fifth round (from No. 144 to No. 166). They then selected Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad — whom many had projected as a Day 2 pick — with the 124th pick.
Muhammad exhibited less dominance than Hood in press-man coverage, but he is a well-rounded cornerback with excellent field vision and strong instincts that make him a threat in whatever defensive coverage that Dennis Allen busts out for the Bears. While he may need to bulk up (182 pounds) to last in the NFL, he has the competitiveness as a defender to win a starting job in Chicago, so long as he embraces Al Harris’ tutelage.
For the Bears, Muhammad offered great value and a potential Day 3 steal. He might not enter training camp as the clear favorite to win the boundary job opposite Johnson, but he has every right to be in the mix with Stevenson, Smith and 2025 fifth-round Zah Fraizer, who will return in 2026 after sitting out his rookie season for personal reasons.
Bears ‘Eyed Trade-Up’ for Top Cornerback After Dillon Thieneman Pick