B-
Chicago Bears
The Bears let Thomas fall into their laps, and walked away with a B-.
by aarg ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Zavion Thomas got past him. The Bears do not have to explain a thing at slot 241.
They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. If Rodriguez pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
Jacob Rodriguez at Round 2, Pick 25 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The roster fit checks out.
The board had A.J. Haulcy higher than slot 60, and the safety fell to them anyway. A minor itch, scratched.
Jake Slaughter in the 62nd pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Darrell Jackson Jr. at the 89th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid up for Kaytron Allen at pick No. 129 when waiting would have done the job. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Isaiah Jatta went about where he belonged in the Round 7 slot. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board fumbled Zavion Thomas all the way to pick 241, and they scooped it up. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.