Being a 1st round pick brings high expectations for Dillon Thieneman. However, most often find that the NFL is a completely different beast compared to what they knew in college. The Chicago Bears‘ young safety is quickly finding that out at training camp. While he hasn’t been overly bad by any stretch, the rookie has been quiet through the first week of practice. That isn’t a surprise. Dennis Allen’s defense is notorious for being complex to learn. Unfortunately, Thieneman finally had his “Welcome to the NFL” moment in Thursday’s practice, courtesy of wide receiver Luther Burden.
It came at the very end. Head coach Ben Johnson put the starters on the field for a two-minute drill. The offense had to go 65 yards with 1:41 on the clock. Quarterback Caleb Williams calmly led them down the field, going a perfect 6-for-6 on the drive. The decisive moment came on the final play. Burden was lined up in the slot. On the snap, it looked like he was running a corner route. Thieneman shifted over in coverage to help. At the last second, Burden planted his foot and executed one of the nastiest cuts you’ll ever see.
Thieneman was caught completely off guard. Williams hit Burden in the end zone for the winning touchdown.
Luther Burden humiliated Thieneman…and did him a big favor.
Ask any player whether they’d rather get their highlight moment in training camp or primetime television. All of them, to a man, will say the former. Those who don’t are lying. Thieneman was a really good player in college. That isn’t enough at this level. He must learn to up his game. What he just saw from Burden is a regularity in the NFL. Many receivers can route crisp routes like that. Don’t think Amon-Ra St. Brown or Justin Jefferson will be any less merciless when he sees them for the first time.
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There is no reason for Thieneman to feel discouraged. That sort of thing happens to even the best defenders in the league. Sometimes you’re just caught out of position, and there is nothing you can do. The lesson moving forward is learning to reach your landmarks and staying disciplined with your eyes. The moment you overrun, wide receivers will make you pay dearly. Luther Burden has that rare mix of speed and agility that makes him absolute hell to deal with. Add such crisp route running, and the rookie won’t be the last one he dusts this year.
This one moment doesn’t tell the full story.
Thieneman hasn’t been a complete disaster in camp by any stretch. He’s showing his excellent athleticism and improving communication every day. Asking him to pick up this defense in a couple of months is unrealistic. The key for him is mastering the basics before moving on to directing traffic, as he did at Oregon. One good thing is that he doesn’t seem discouraged. He has that short-term memory of forgetting previous plays and moving on to the next one. That should serve him well going forward.
As for Burden? He is living up to the hype already. Head coach Ben Johnson warned that people would be smart to buy stock in the wide receiver this season. He expects big things. Johnson doesn’t say that about just anybody. He even went so far as to say he saw visions of St. Brown and Jarvis Landry in Burden, at least from a competitive standpoint. His domination of training camp thus far backs up those assessments.
