You never want to overreact too much to a guy taken 25th overall. Sure, he’s still a 1st round pick, but it probably shouldn’t be getting the same excitement as someone going in the top 10. Yet many Chicago Bears fans couldn’t hold back when it became clear their team would be landing Dillon Thieneman. College football and draft enthusiasts knew him well. He’d be a star for Oregon in 2025, establishing himself as a rare specimen with a mixture of elite athletic measurements coupled with an obsessive work ethic.
When even defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was sweating those final few picks before the Bears got him, it was a sign that even they knew they’d gotten lucky. While everybody expected Thieneman to be a good player, they probably didn’t expect him to be this good this fast. He came into Monday night’s game leading the team with 17 tackles, along with a pass defense and partial credit for a forced fumble. It figured he’d save his breakout performance for the national stage.
Not only did he lead the team with 6 tackles, but he also added the most important interception of the Bears’ young season easily.
Dillon Thieneman has always had a sense of timing.
That was something the Bears noted when scouting him. It wasn’t just that he got interceptions. It was that he seemed to get them at the most crucial times. How fitting that his first in the NFL came right when the Bears needed it. After going up 7-0 to start the game, the two teams traded scoreless drives. Then Philadelphia embarked on a 95-yard march that saw them knocking on the door to tie the game. Two yards away, the Eagles went to Dontayvion Wicks, the former Packer, in the end zone.
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Dillon Thieneman cut in front of him for the interception, robbing the Eagles of any points. It was an absolute killer of a momentum swing. Chicago then drove down for a field goal, extending the lead to 10-0. While Philadelphia did finally manage a touchdown right before the half, that was as close as they would get. The Bears defense shut them down in the second half while the offense scored 14 unanswered points. Thieneman was at the center of the action throughout.
This kid brings something the Bears needed.
Great defenses always have that one player who has a knack for being an eraser. That is to say, he cleans up his teammates’ mistakes and minimizes opponents’ big plays. Fans may not always notice them, but other teams sure do. That is what Thieneman is. He just always seems to be around the football, making life harder for the offense because of his instincts and ability to cover a ton of ground. Suddenly, 15 to 20-yard plays become 5 to 10-yard plays because he makes an open-field tackle.
Throwing windows that would’ve been open in most situations close incredibly fast because Thieneman has the range and foreknowledge to be in the right position at the right time. There were already signs throughout the first two weeks that the rookie was getting close to a big play. Philadelphia was just the first team to pay the price. They won’t be the last. Chicago found its eraser. The defense is significantly better as a result.
