With the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.Based off the consensus, it was a surprise to see Thieneman still available with the No. 25 pick. I had him as the No. 19 player on my big board, while the PFSN expert consensus ranked him at No. 18. Nonetheless, he fell into Chicago’s laps, and with the massive turnover their secondary experienced this offseason, he projects as an impact starter in their secondary.As I’ve done since 2019, I put together a thread involving my analysis of each Bears draft selection, sharing some clips that highlight their strengths along the way.
This year is certainly no different, so here’s my quick-hit evaluation of the Bears selecting Thieneman in Round 1.Also, if you want to see my live reaction of the Bears selecting Thieneman, you can check out the clip here from the PFSN NFL Draft livestream.THE NUMBERSHeight: 6’0”Weight: 201 poundsRAS: 9.71Career interceptions: 8Career tackles: 306Career tackles for a loss: 10Career targeted passer rating: 76.1Snap allocation: 1,399 as deep safety, 732 in the box, 236 in the slotList of accomplishments: 2025 first-team All-American, 2023 third-team All-American, 2025 first-team All-Big Ten, 2023 third-team All-Big TenTHREAD: New #Bears safety Dillon Thieneman is incredible value at No. 25 and fits everything Dennis Allen wants in a defensive back.— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 24, 2026Dillon Thieneman is a quick processor with the ability to play all over the field.His ability to play in the slot, the box, and as a deep safety shows on tape, and he’s a quick processor who understands his assignments in all alignments. #Bearspic.twitter.com/vkHdbycJnS— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 24, 2026Dillon Thieneman’s downhill speed, good size for a safety, and effort as a tackler sees him dish out some great hits.He’s a smart player who plays with a relentless edge. Form as a tackler improved a lot in 2025. #Bearspic.twitter.com/zW0moVkWDF— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 24, 2026A three-year starter and an All-American, Dillon Thieneman has a large sample size against Big Ten competition.The ball skills are there, as he attacks the ball like a receiver and had 8 total INTs, as well as 306 tackles in 3 years. #Bearspic.twitter.com/i3sfsYGpLb— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 24, 2026Here’s Dillon Thieneman’s Relative Athletic Score.
Elite speed and explosiveness, with good enough size to deal with the NFL level of physicality.Love this pick for the #Bears. Instant starter at safety with elite versatility, ball skills, and instincts. No. 19 on my board. pic.twitter.com/GkHEoPpufH— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 24, 2026