With just a few weeks between now and the 2026 NFL Draft, we’re going to see no shortage of ideas and hypotheticals, some more interesting (for one reason or another) than others. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter put together a recent four-round mock that caught my eye, featuring a hypothetical trade back for the Bears that would be especially fruitful for General Manager Ryan Poles.
In Reuter’s mock, the Bears send their first-round pick (No. 25) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the two picks Miami acquired from Denver in the Jaylen Waddle trade (No. 30 and a third-rounder at No. 94), plus a fifth-round pick.
Reuter has Miami using that pick on Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion, while Chicago lands Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 30. From there, the Bears use Miami’s third-rounder (via Denver) on Utah edge rusher Logan Fano and their own third-round pick (No. 89) on Northwestern offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan.
Here’s what Chicago’s five picks in the top 94 (including the extra pick from the trade) look like in Reuter’s mock:
Round 1, Pick 30 (via MIA): Dillon Thieneman, S (Oregon)Round 2, Pick 57: Treydan Stukes, CB (Arizona)Round 2, Pick 60 (via BUF): Malachi Fields, WR (Notre Dame)Round 3, Pick 89: Caleb Tiernan, LT (Northwestern)Round 3, Pick 94 (via MIA): Logan Fano, ED (Utah)
© Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesA Bears Trade-Back Dream? This Mock Draft Scenario Is Almost Too Good to Be True
First and foremost, if Miami actually wanted to do that deal, Poles should take it 100 times over. But the idea of the Dolphins essentially turning Jaylen Waddle and a fifth-round pick into rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion feels … unlikely. Then again, it’s the Dolphins, so you can’t completely rule out some level of chaos.
Beyond that, I do have some questions about how Reuter has Chicago using the added capital.
I love the idea of landing Dillon Thieneman at No. 30. I’d take him at No. 25, so picking up extra assets and still getting him would be a win. That said, I’d be surprised if Thieneman makes it past Dallas at No. 20 — and he could go even earlier. Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren feels like a more realistic option in that range, and even that might be a coin flip.
POTENTIAL CHICAGO BEARS DRAFT TARGETS: Dillon Thieneman | Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Stukes is an intriguing, outside-the-box pick. He’s an older prospect who played a ton of slot and could project as a long-term successor to Kyler Gordon, who is coming off a disappointing and injury-shortened 2025 season. If selected by Chicago, Stukes could be a factor on the defense sooner than expected — especially if Bears Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen experiments with Gordon at safety this season.
© David Banks-USA TODAY SportsFields would give the Bears another legitimate receiving option behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, but No. 60 feels a bit rich. Reuter also has Chicago taking a swing at left tackle with Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan, a true left tackle with more than 2,400 snaps at the position over three seasons.
Then there’s Logan Fano at No. 94, which, like Fields, feels early relative to his range, even if the need on the defensive line is obvious.
Regardless, I like the idea of trading back. I’ve been in that camp (unless a player like Thieneman somehow falls to No. 25), and I do appreciate the variety of needs Reuter addresses for Chicago. Wide receiver and cornerback depth haven’t been at the forefront of the conversation with defensive line, linebacker, and safety taking priority, but they’re still real concerns. And taking Tiernan in the third round at least acknowledges that Ozzy Trapilo’s injury could present a longer-term issue than initially expected, something I’ve mentioned multiple times.
At the end of the day, as I always caution with my Bears mock drafts, these exercises are more exploratory than predictive. Still, I respect the outside-the-box logic Reuter used here, enough that it felt worth highlighting.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesSUBSCRIBE TO THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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