These veterans â including the Chiefs' WR duo â gained the most fantasy football value after the 2026 NFL Draft
Chiefs' WR duo and other veterans see fantasy value rise after the 2026 NFL Draft.
Scouts and executives provided insights into the Chicago Bears' draft strategy, highlighting their interest in cornerback Colton Hood and safety Dillon Thieneman. The Bears considered trading up but ultimately decided to stick with their No. 25 pick.
Sep 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg (99) rushes the passer against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
ESPNâs Jeremy Fowler recently published an article with intel gathered about all 32 draft classes from various scouts, coaches, and executives around the League. He shared two Chicago Bears nuggets he learned from his sources. One was about a first-round backup plan that the Bears contemplated on day two, while the other was about a day three selection.
âThe Bears eyed a trade-up in the second round but chose to stand pat,â Fowler wrote. âThey 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 wouldâve been a viable fallback option there if Thieneman was off the board.â
Zack Pearson, who is on the Bearsâ beat for the Bear Report, confirmed that Chicago did have Hood âhigh on their board,â while adding that Hood âwas 100% an option at 25 if Thieneman wasnât there.â
Youâll get no complaints from me about Thieneman at 25, though Iâm also a fan of what Iâve seen of Hood.
The Bears contemplated a trade-up in the second round for cornerback Colton Hood, who was a fallback option if safety Dillon Thieneman was unavailable.
The Bears selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with their No. 25 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Bears chose to stand pat because they believed safety Dillon Thieneman would be gone in the top 20, and they had Colton Hood as a viable option if he was available.
Chiefs' WR duo and other veterans see fantasy value rise after the 2026 NFL Draft.

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Iâm also a fan of what Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Chicagoâs fourth-round pick, can bring to the Bears. ESPNâs Matt Miller picked Muhammad as one of his top 100 favorite selections in the draft, but heâs not the day three player that Fowler had some intel on.
âThe Bears believe theyâre getting a steal with sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg out of Georgia Tech,â Fowler added. âSeveral of his testing numbers hit the highest mark on the Bearsâ internal scouting scale. My sense is the Bears have plans for him beyond that of a typical sixth-round flier and believe he was one of the more gifted defensive tackles in the draft.â
The Bearsâ defensive tackle depth chart says that van den Berg will be in the mix as DT4 at the very least. Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., and free agent addition Neville Gallimore are the likely top 3 defensive tackles. But fellow free agent pickups James Lynch and Kentavius Street both signed for league-minimum money, and both offer some tackle/end versatility.
If van den Berg takes to NFL coaching quickly to hone his technique and can learn his responsibilities, his ceiling seems higher than that of a typical sixth-rounder.