Inside The Bears’ Near Trade-Up for Colton Hood — And Why They Dodged a Mistake
Some Chicago Bears fans were upset that general manager Ryan Poles wasn’t more aggressive in the 2026 draft. His defense needed some serious difference-makers after finishing 29th last season. After making a deep playoff run, it made sense to take a legitimate swing at finding some impact guys. Instead, the Bears played the boring approach, taking safety Dillon Thieneman in the 1st round before going on an offensive frenzy on day two with center Logan Jones, tight end Sam Roush, and wide receiver Zavion Thomas. As it turns out, things were almost very different, and it centered on Colton Hood.
The Tennessee cornerback had been touted as a possible 1st round pick going into the draft. So it was a surprise when he wasn’t taken. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Bears were so taken with Hood that they considered trading up in the 2nd round to get him.
“The Bears eyed a trade-up in the second round but chose to stand pat. They 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 would’ve been a viable fallback option there if Thieneman was off the board.”
The Bears’ interest is hardly surprising. Hood is a tall, athletic, and physical cornerback with a solid nose for the ball. He is basically the prototype of what defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive backs coach Al Harris want in the position.
Trading up for Colton Hood would’ve been a mistake.
Before you say anything, it has nothing to do with the cornerback’s talent. He is a good player and deserves the buzz he received before the draft. This was more of an issue of resource management. The Bears only had seven picks at the start of the 2026 draft, and they’d already given up their 5th rounder in 2027 to grab Garrett Bradbury after Drew Dalman retired. This was not a team boasting a large inventory of assets. Trading up from #57 to get Hood almost certainly would’ve cost them a 3rd round pick. Maybe their other 2nd.
Thankfully, Poles saw sense. When it became clear the Giants were going to take him, the Bears GM knew the price tag was too steep. There is also the matter of resource allocation. Had they selected Hood, he would’ve been the fifth defensive back the Bears had spent a 1st or 2nd round pick on since 2022. There is nothing wrong with having a strong secondary, but such a steep tilt in one direction goes a long way in explaining why the Bears’ defensive line has underperformed for most of Poles’ tenure.
The Bears managed to help multiple positions because of that.
Jones will likely serve as the team’s long-term solution at center, be it this year or in 2027. Roush is a stout blocking tight end who should immediately help open up the running game. Lastly, Thomas is an explosive return man who can elevate the special teams while also offering upside as a receiver. Would Colton Hood have been good enough to equate the contributions of those three? Maybe, but he’d have to be really good. The truth was that Chicago had too many needs to justify giving up extra assets for another cornerback.
Besides, they ended up addressing the position anyway. Malik Muhammad arrived in the 4th round. He exhibits many of the same qualities as Hood: athletic, fluid, hard-nosed, and physical. He may not be as big, but there is no question that he can be a contributor on this team. All in all, the Bears made the correct decision. As much as they may have liked Hood, it was not the time nor the position for them to be aggressive. Cooler heads prevailed, and the team is better for it.