The Chicago Bears didn’t get cute with their 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles had agreed since they started working together that they would always take the best player on the board. Position didn’t matter. Get the best talent possible and worry about the rest later. When the Bears went on the clock, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman stuck out. Many had expected he’d be gone somewhere between picks 12 and 18. His still being available was a surprise. The Bears didn’t need to think about it long, turning the card in.
It marked the first time the team had taken a safety in the 1st round since 1990. Their justification for it was fairly straightforward. Thieneman had good size for his position and is an elite athlete. His 4.35 speed shows up on tape constantly. He demonstrated a great mix of intelligence, instincts, and physicality. However, one thing that sometimes went overlooked about him was his leadership. It is rare for a safety to be the semi-quarterback of a defense, but Thieneman played that role for Oregon. Based on what Herb Howard of The Bigs saw at rookie minicamps, he’s already doing the same for the Bears.
Dillon Thieneman thrives as an adjuster.
His college coaches compared him to Brian Urlacher. Though not a linebacker, he was that guy who could read what an offense was doing pre-snap and get everybody lined up in the right spot. It was a big reason why Oregon had the 12th-ranked defense in the country in 2025, including 4th against the pass. The Bears have had some good safeties over the past several years. Recently departed Kevin Byard was one. Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos were the other two. However, none of them ever established themselves as that vocal leader everybody listened to.
The last player who fit that role for the Bears was probably Mike Brown. While Urlacher may have been the pillar around which the team was built, he repeatedly insisted that Brown was the real brains behind the defense. You saw it all the time during his peak years from 2001 to 2005, as he constantly communicated to teammates where the ball was going. When he was healthy, the defense was elite. It is why the injuries that shortened his career were so difficult to accept. Thieneman appears built for that same role.
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Thieneman wants that leadership role.
People must understand that this is not normal. Rookies almost never move to take over command of a unit so quickly. They’re in a new environment and trying to process tons of new information. Most are content to hover in the background, stay quiet, and do their jobs. The leadership thing can come later. Not for Dillon Thieneman. Like any self-respecting control freak, he can’t feel at home unless he’s conducting the orchestra. The pressure of that responsibility doesn’t even register with him. It is as natural as breathing.
We can talk about the speed, athleticism, and ball skills all day. What will likely make Thieneman a great player in Chicago is the thirst to be that voice. He commands attention and is willing to accept blame when things go wrong. You don’t always find that in safeties, let alone rookies. It is another reminder that the Bears made the right decision by taking him despite grumblings about positional value.
