NFL Draft Grades: Chicago Bears’ Dillon Thieneman gets an A

This is another pick that was mocked incessantly in the lead-up to the draft, and it makes a whole lot of sense. Thienemen is a great athlete with a lot of smarts who was able to immediately jump into Oregon’s starting lineup and be a plus player for the Ducks. He joins a talented defensive backfield that will likely be the spine of the defense once again this season. Was it mocked incessantly? Almost every mock I came across had him gone before 25, but whatever. The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman gave the pick an A+, writing that “Thieneman can do it all for the Bears — he’s a hitter, can cover anyone … This is a big-time win for GM Ryan Poles, and it’s my favorite pick of the first round.” We’ll end this grades round-up on another positive note! Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey didn’t hand out grades, but he put each pick in a category, and only two prospects earned an Elite grade from last night: Edge Rueben Bain Jr., who went to the Buccaneers, and Chicago’s Dillon Thieneman. Thieneman didn’t often make it to Chicago in mock drafts, but the Bears will certainly be happy he was available here. Thieneman earned 89.0-plus PFF grades on multiple defenses — 2023 with Purdue and 2025 with Oregon — and can cover, defend the run and bring high-end athleticism. Given that the Bears came into this draft with a clear need at safety, this is an ideal scenario for Dennis Allen’s defense.