With their final three selections of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears chose Malik Muhammad, Keyshaun Elliott, and Jordan van den Berg, all of whom bring plus-athleticism to a team that made that its ethos this offseason.
Each of the Bears’ various 2026 offseason additions could be characterized as speedsters, even by NFL standards.
The selections, highlighted by the trades to acquire the picks, are all intriguing in their own right.
Bears Add Trio of Players on Day 3 of 2026 NFL Draft
Bears Kick Off Draft Day 3 With Trade, Texas Longhorns CB Malik Muhammad
Muhammad was the Bears’ first selection on Day 3, chosen 124th overall with a pick that belonged to the Carolina Panthers.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Muhammad to New York Giants corner and 2024 third-round draft pick Andru Phillips, noting he “has good coverage talent to offset his slender frame.”
Zierlein also projected that Muhammad would be a fourth-round selection.
“Can man up from press or off and is a plus pattern-matcher, staying in-phase and shadowing break points. He displays outstanding vision and adheres to his zone-cover principles, allowing him to play with ideal efficiency on all three levels. He can get outmuscled by big, strong wideouts inside the route and at the catch-point, but he doesn’t give in and usually holds his own,” Zierlein wrote.
“Does a nice job of chopping pass-catchers down in space but a lack of play strength shows up in occasional broken tackles. Muhammad has Day 2 talent and starter-level ability.”
Muhammad joins a group that includes fellow Bears draft picks Jaylon Johnson (2020), Kyler Gordon (2022), Tyrique Stevenson (2023), Terell Smith (2023), and Zah Frazier (2025). Frazier missed his entire rookie season due to personal issues.
At the very least, Muhammad joins him as corners who possess speed in the mid-4.3s to low 4.4s.
Muhammad also made it a point to note that he can play inside at nickelback, too, calling himself a “complete defensive back.”
Keyshaun Elliott Could Be Mid-Round Steal
The Bears selected Elliott with the other selection they received in the trade with the Panthers, taking him 166th overall.
Elliott is 6-foot-1, 230-plus pounds, and ran a 4.58 40 at his pro day.
“Elliott must prove his value on passing downs,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in his “The Beast” draft guide, “but his instincts and football character are attractive qualities for what NFL teams desire at middle linebacker.”
The Bears cut ties with Tremaine Edmunds, who started alongside T.J. Edwards for the past three seasons, but signed Devin Bush in free agency to replace him.
2025 free agent pickup D’Marco Jackson and draftee Ruben Hyppolite II are still around, too.
Bears Get ‘Elite’ Athlete Jordan van der Berg
The Bears made their second trade of the day to land van den Berg, an uber-athletic defensive tackle out of Georgia Tech whose testing numbers are just one of his interesting notes.
Chicago packaged up their two seventh-round picks in a deal with the Buffalo Bills to land the 213th overall pick, which they used on van den Berg. He spent three seasons at Penn State, where he was teammates with former Bears safety Jaquan Brisker in 2021, before transferring.
He was also born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he lived until he was 10.
“Elite testing numbers at his pro day will send scouts back to the tape for further evaluation. He possesses disruptive first-step quickness and heavy hands to beat blocks. He carries average mass and below-average length,” Zierlein noted in his pre-draft profile. “Needs to prove he can take on NFL blockers at the point of attack. The career production looks a little light on paper, but van den Berg appears to possess translatable traits that could entice a team with a one-gapping defensive front to draft him on Day 3.”
Bears Make Flurry of UDFA Signings
The Bears joined in on the post-draft frenzy, signing at least 13 college free agents to their roster. The list includes former Bears center Olin Kreutz’s son, Josh Kreutz, mauling offensive lineman Caden Barnett, aka the “Vanilla Gorilla,” and Caleb Williams’ former backup at USC, Miller Moss.
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