Chicago Bears’ 1st Round Came Down to Two Names — And They Got It Right

The Chicago Bears went into the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft unsure of what to expect. They’d run tons of simulations leading up to the event, trying to gauge which players might be available when they went on the clock. Experts had debated for weeks over who it would be. Many felt it would be an edge rusher. Others pinpointed an offensive tackle. Some even went with a cornerback or wide receiver. In the end, Bears general manager Ryan Poles went with Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.

It marked the first time in 36 years that Chicago took a player at that position in the 1st round. Most felt the decision was justified. Thieneman came into the weekend as one of the top defensive prospects in the class, boasting a great mix of proven production and elite athleticism. Some thought he could’ve gone as high as 12th overall. Easy decision, right? Well, not entirely. According to Adam Hoge of CHGO, the final decision with the 25th pick came down to two players. Thieneman was one, and Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk was the other.

Rueben Bain Jr. is an example of an edge rusher the Bears did like, but they knew he was out of reach. There were more appetizing offensive tackles than pass rushers, but the predicted run on tackles held true. Six came off the board before No. 25, including three from Nos. 17 to 21.

As the Bears’ pick neared, Thieneman’s name was left standing out. They liked edge rusher Keldric Faulk, too. But Thieneman was the cleaner prospect. Faulk’s character was outstanding and he fit the Bears’ brand of football, but more projection was required because his production was lacking in 2025. The gap between the players was big enough to only briefly think about trading down.

They didn’t want to trade back and not land Thieneman.

Thieneman over Faulk was the correct decision by the Chicago Bears.

Chicago’s interest in the defensive end is the least surprising revelation ever. Faulk is 6’6″ with 34-inch arms, weighs 276 lbs, and displays high-end athleticism for his size. You couldn’t draw up a Dennis Allen defensive end in a lab any better. Given his noted exemplary character, the Bears’ interest in him was inevitable. Yet they still went with Thieneman, despite Faulk playing a premium position. Why? The simplest answer is impact. There was no debating how Thieneman impacted games for Oregon and Purdue before that. He did it regularly.

Faulk can’t make the same argument. Across three seasons, he only had 10 sacks as a pass rusher, and his pass-rush win rate was ranked among the worst in the class for 1st round prospects. He also disappeared in big games last season, having no notable impact against rivals like Alabama and Georgia. It is hard to say how much of that was due to his own deficiencies and how much to coaching. Thieneman, meanwhile, had produced for two different programs. It was as close to a sure thing as you can possibly get that late in the 1st round.

We’ll know the true results in a couple of years.

No doubt revisionist historians will slam the Chicago Bears if Thieneman ends up a disappointment and Faulk becomes a star. That is how it often goes in this business. Yet the truth is far different. There was nothing wrong with the team’s process. It wasn’t a case of them being completely ignorant of the situation. They understood the potential that Faulk represented. There were debates inside the building about it. What it came down to was finding the right balance of floor and ceiling.

Thieneman offered both. This is hardly the first time an NFL team has gone in such a direction. There is a reason Faulk fell to the 31st pick in the 1st round. Other organizations reached the same conclusion as Poles did. The risk was too high. Chicago needed a hit on defense, especially after the struggles they suffered through last season. Taking a swing at Faulk would’ve been reckless. The Bears weren’t in a position to do that, so they acted with sensible logic.