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Grading the Bears' selection of Dillon Thieneman in 2026 NFL Draft
TL;DR
The Chicago Bears selected safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, addressing a critical need in their secondary. This move follows the loss of key starters and aims to enhance coverage and speed on defense.
Key points
- Chicago Bears selected Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 pick
- Thieneman addresses a critical need at safety
- Bears lost key starters in the secondary before the draft
- Coby Bryant was signed to enhance the defense
- Focus on improving coverage and speed on defense
Chicago BearsSeattle Seahawks
The Chicago Bears had the No. 25 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft and used it wisely, addressing a position of major need when they selected safety Dillon Thieneman out of Oregon.
Chicago's secondary was a big question mark coming into the draft, especially at the safety position where they lost starters Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, as well as veteran Jonathan Owens.
Making a splash on the first day of free agency, the Bears signed safety Coby Bryant, who was coming off a Super Bowl championship with the Seattle Seahawks. Bringing in Thieneman, along with Bryant, will help achieve two big things that the coaching staff and front office were open about, getting better in coverage at the position and adding more speed across the board on defense.
Here's our draft night grade for the Bears selection of Dillon Thieneman:
Grade: A+
The reason for the perfect grade is because general manager Ryan Poles never got anxious, never felt the need to trade up, and let Thieneman fall in their laps when he was frequently mocked to not be on the board leading up to the draft. Thieneman's playmaking ability, excellence in coverage at the safety position, and even more, clean tackling ability will make him a Day 1 starter after being a first-round pick, barring any extreme circumstances. Chicago knew what they needed to get done, and they got a player who wasn't expected to be there at their selection, it's a win-win across the board for both sides.
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Q&A
Why did the Chicago Bears select Dillon Thieneman in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Bears selected Dillon Thieneman to address a major need at the safety position after losing key starters.
What impact will Dillon Thieneman have on the Bears' defense?
Thieneman is expected to improve coverage and add speed to the Bears' secondary, complementing the recent signing of Coby Bryant.
Who are the key players the Bears lost before drafting Thieneman?
The Bears lost starters Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and veteran Jonathan Owens prior to the draft.