Chicago Bears' sleeper picks from the 2026 NFL Draft class

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Sam Roush

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Zavion Thomas

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select CB Malik Muhammad

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Keyshaun Elliott

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Jordan van den Berg

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Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)

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Breakdown and analysis of new Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)

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Analysis, grades for Chicago Bears' 2026 draft picks

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Logan Jones

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Analysis, grades for Chicago Bears' 2026 draft picks

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Sam Roush

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Analysis, grades for Chicago Bears' 2026 draft picks

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Zavion Thomas

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Analysis, grades for Chicago Bears' 2026 draft picks

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select CB Malik Muhammad

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Analysis, grades for Chicago Bears' 2026 draft picks

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Keyshaun Elliott

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Analysis, grades for Chicago Bears' 2026 draft picks

2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Jordan van den Berg

Alyssa Barbieri: TE Sam Roush

Technically, the Bears drafted Sam Roush in the third round, so they have high expectations for him. Still, considering he's the third tight end on the roster, he's my sleeper pick and I expect him to make a significant impact as a rookie. This is a draft pick that has Ben Johnson's fingerprints all over it, and looking at how last year's rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III flourished in their first year, that should be the expectation for Roush in his role as TE3.

While tight end was far from the biggest need on the board when Chicago was selecting at 69th overall, it's not a big surprise the Bears went in that direction given Johnson's penchant for 12 personnel and 13 personnel. The Bears ran the sixth-most 12 personnel and fifth-most 13 personnel in the NFL last season, and we've seen how Johnson's offense relies on multi-tight end sets. Roush is an elite blocker who should help the run game and passing game excel, and he brings the toughness and physicality that Johnson looks for in his players. While it's not a sexy position, Roush could wind up having one of the biggest impacts among this Chicago rookie class.

Brendan Sugrue: DT Jordan van den Berg

For the second year in a row, the Bears were projected to take a certain position high in the draft only to wait until their final pick to address it. In 2025, it was running back Kyle Monangai. In 2026, it was defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg. Can the Bears achieve the same results as they did a year ago? It’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Van den Berg is a freak athlete, earning the second-highest Relative Athletic Score (RAS) since 1987. He played six years in college, ranging from Iowa Wesleyan to Penn State and Georgia Tech, and exploded in his final season in college, totaling 11 tackles for loss and three sacks. Though a portion of his success could be due to his age, van den Berg’s overall athleticism combined with his success in rugby growing up in South Africa could translate to the NFL level. Given the Bears traded up for him and the lack of depth up front, van den Berg has a good chance of making the initial roster. And learning behind a player like Grady Jarrett should be good for his development. I can see van den Berg carving out a role for himself his rookie year before growing into a consistent contributor.

Mike Pendleton: WR Zavion Thomas

The Bears didn’t truly need another wide receiver, but what if they just got an elite do-it-all type of weapon in Zavion Thomas? An incredibly fast wide receiver, Thomas can help take the top off of defenses and open up the field for Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland.

Even more so, the fact that Ben Johnson has shown to get the most out of his offensive playmakers, gives the presence of Thomas my choice for sleeper pick. There’s very little thought that Thomas can take over and become a WR1 or WR2, but he can be used in gadget plays, he can use his speed to disrupt defenses, and along with Kalif Raymond, the rookie can bring in another element to the special teams unit. Thomas can be an absolute game-changer just by being on the field, and there’s a good chance he makes a big impact in his rookie season.

Vincent Parise: TE Sam Roush

The Bears selected another tight end, Sam Roush, in the 2026 NFL Draft. With Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet already in the mix, this was a confusing pick. Roush is a good player, but the need for a third starting caliber tight end was not there. It was a selection that felt unnecessary due to the fact that they have plenty of other needs.

However, with all of that said, this may not be the worst pick of all time. After a couple of days of reflection, the theory behind this pick has started to make sense. Roush is a block first tight end. Although Kmet can also block, he wants to have a few receptions per game as well. Loveland is strictly a pass catcher, and maybe one of the best in the game. This could be where Roush comes into play.

Few coaches like the “13-personnel” offense more than Ben Johnson. He is going to run that type of play often in 2026, and a blocking tight end like Roush is extremely necessary. This pick may change the depth chart by 2027, but that is not the focus. 2026 is, and this addition will help them take another step on this side of the ball.

Preston Zbroszczyk: TE Sam Roush

This was another pick that initially made you question what the Bears were doing. They traded back from pick No. 60 to No. 69 and draft the Stanford tight end. But from reports and the way other teams talked about Roush down the line this really could be a good pick for the Bears. Ben Johnson enjoys his heavy packed offensive plays with 12 or 13 personal and Roush now gives you that.

The quarterback play he dealt with at Stanford makes his stats look unimpressive, but Roush has the blocking ability, catching and overall tight end play you look for k, not to mention his character and IQ. Cole Kmet has two years left on his contract with Chicago and with Colston Loveland’s rookie stardom Chicago in a couple years may have planned this out the right way.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: NFL draft: Chicago Bears' sleeper picks from 2026 rookie class