advertisement

A quick look at every Bears draft pick

Here’s a look at every player the Bears drafted this weekend.

First round, No. 25: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

The Bears got a guy they weren’t sure would drop to No. 25. But Chicago selected a versatile and speedy safety Poles believes can start opposite Coby Bryant.

Thieneman proved to have a nose to the ball during his three seasons in college. Over 39 games for Purdue and Oregon, Thieneman totaled eight interceptions, forced two fumbles and made 188 tackles. He earned second team AP All-American honors and first team all-Big Ten honors with the Ducks last season.

Second round, No. 57: Logan Jones, C, Iowa

After the Bears found themselves with a long-term need at center with the sudden retirement of Drew Dalman, Poles used his second-round selection to draft who he hopes can become the center of the future.

Jones arrived at Iowa to be a defensive tackle but developed into one of the best center prospects in the draft. He started 50 games at the spot over four seasons and earned plenty of honors for his senior season. Jones was named a first team AP All-American, first team all-Big Ten and won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s top center.

Third round, No. 69: Sam Roush, TE, Stanford

It didn’t seem like the Bears would draft a tight end after selecting Colston Loveland at No. 10 last year and with veteran Cole Kmet on the roster. But the Bears saw value in having a blocking tight end who can catch as well.

Roush put up good numbers for the Cardinal on top of his blocking ability at 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds. He caught a career-high 49 passes and two touchdowns to go along with 545 receiving yards.

Third round, No. 89: Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU

The Bears entered the weekend wanting to add speed to their wide receiver room behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, even after bringing in Kalif Raymond. They found a speedster they can use on offense and special teams when they selected Thomas.

Thomas had career highs of 41 receptions and four touchdowns with the Tigers last season to go along with 488 receiving yards. He also returned 60 punts over four seasons, averaging 9.7 yards per return, and 35 kicks averaging 27.2 yards per return. Thomas returned two kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns.

Fourth round, No. 124: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas

Poles continued to add speed to the defense when he selected Muhammad.

Muhammad impressed as a cornerback who could play well in press, man coverage despite his shorter frame at 6-foot, 182 pounds. He played 41 games over three seasons with the Longhorns and finished with two interceptions, four passes defended, one sack and 30 tackles.

Fifth round, No. 166: Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State

Chicago added experience and flexibility to its linebacker and special teams rooms by selecting Elliott.

He had a career-high seven sacks last season to go along with 98 tackles, 14 of which were for a loss. The Bears were impressed with Elliott’s ability to get to the ball and expect him to make an impact on special teams.

Sixth round, No. 213: Jordan van den Berg, DT, Georgia Tech

The Bears traded their two seventh-round picks to move up and get their first defensive lineman of the draft in van den Berg.

Van den Berg, who was born in South Africa, took off with Georgia Tech over the past two seasons after spending the first four years of his career with Iowa Western Community College and Penn State. He earned first team all-ACC honors last season after he had 44 tackles, 11 for a loss, with three sacks and a blocked kick.

At 6-3 and 310 pounds, van den Berg is an interesting prospect given his size and speed.