What draft experts said about new Bears safety Dillon Thieneman
The Chicago Bears got a steal in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the selection of Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick. Thieneman is another speedy, versatile weapon for Dennis Allen's defense.
The Bears had a starting safety job to fill heading into the draft, and the best-case scenario unfolded for them in the first round as Thieneman fell right into their laps. Looking back, this could be another Colston Loveland or Luther Burden III impact addition in just one year.
Following the departures of Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker , Chicago has remade their secondary with the selection of Thieneman and free-agent addition of Coby Bryant , who should be a dynamic duo in the defensive backfield.
Here's what some expert draft analysts had to say about Thieneman during the pre-draft process and what Bears fans can expect to see:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
"A one-year starter at Oregon (and three-year starter overall), Thieneman was a hybrid safety in former defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi’s scheme and wore a variety of hats (deep middle, robber, nickel etc.). A productive post safety at Purdue for two seasons, he transferred to Eugene for his junior season and earned a 2025 All-America nod for the Ducks, with both of his interceptions clinching victories late in a game (Penn State and Washington ). He collected more than 300 combined tackles in three college seasons and averaged 7.9 tackles per start.
With his open-field athleticism, Thieneman has a lot to offer in the NFL because of his versatility making plays over the top in coverage or downhill versus the run. He shows impressive range and anticipation from the deep half of the field, as well as the intelligence to understand what opponents are trying to do. Although he doesn’t always play up to his testing numbers, he can guard both sidelines and sort through routes. He can clean up some things in the run game, too — he has a nose for the ball and doesn’t hesitate flying to the contact point."
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
"Thieneman was a versatile chess piece in Oregon’s defense. He lined up in the box, in the deep half and over the slot. When he’s aligned in the back end, he can anticipate and range over the top to find and play the ball. He has excellent closing speed and takes good routes. He shows a fluid, smooth pedal when aligned in the slot. He’s quick to plant/drive on throws in front of him and he’s a reliable tackler most of the time. He will occasionally fail to break down and have a fly-by missed tackle. Against the run, he trusts his eyes and explodes into the alley. Overall, Thieneman does a lot of different tasks at a very high level. His skill set is highly coveted around the NFL."
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
"Savvy three-year starter with NFL size, speed and alignment versatility. Thieneman is an extension of his defensive coordinator, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts. He’s an instinctive, rangy safety who can roll down into big nickel or robber positioning. He has a good feel for play design and route concepts in zone but has average change of direction to match breaks in man. He’s not a big thumper near the line, but he rushes into the action with a relentless pursuit that should allow him to keep stacking high scores in the tackle columns. Thieneman checks important boxes for teams looking to add versatile playmakers in the secondary."
The Draft Network
" Speed/Range: Thieneman is a 4.3 athlete at the safety position, which shows on his film. He has great sideline-to-sideline range when playing the FS position. Thieneman is also explosive out of his plant-and-drive and has great closing speed to the ball carrier.
Run Defense/Tackling: Thieneman appears to be a sound tackler who has an effective and efficient technique. When closing from a distance, Thieneman has great closing speed to the ball carrier and uses his full body to make contact and bring down the ball carrier. He has sideline-to-sideline range in pursuit of ball carriers.
Alignment Versatility: Thieneman has played in multiple different alignments throughout his collegiate career, being able to play FS, SS, and nickel. There are snaps where he can play the single-high FS with the responsibility of roaming sideline-to-sideline and making a play on the football in the passing game. However, he can also walk down to the nickel position to effectively play the pass and insert into the run game.
Instincts: Thieneman showcases a natural feel for the game at various alignments, which helps him make plays in both the run and passing games. In the run and screen game, Thieneman is quick to diagnose and can get a quick jump on the football, playing downhill and putting himself in a position to be disruptive at or near the line of scrimmage to make the play. In the passing game, Thieneman will anticipate routes and jump them to intercept passes and turn the football over for the defense."
Pro Football Focus
"Thieneman is a former three-star safety from Carmel, Indiana, where he was named the 2022 Indiana Football Coaches Association Mr. Football as a senior before committing to Purdue, where both his brothers, Jake and Brennan, also played safety. He earned a starting role as a true freshman and won the Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year as the Big Ten’s top freshman while serving as their free safety. He played at Purdue for one more season before transferring to Oregon for his junior year.
He is of adequate size, at just over 6 feet and just over 200 pounds. At Purdue, he primarily played as a true deep, centerfield free safety, where he recorded six interceptions as a freshman. At Oregon, his role became much more diverse. He has good straight-line speed for range in deep coverage, but his hip fluidity and change-of-direction ability are not as impressive as his explosiveness.
He has fantastic ball skills, evidenced by nine career interceptions and a forced incompletion percentage in the 67th percentile. In Oregon’s defense, he played a lot in the middle of the field with the freedom to move and flow with the play — a role in which he thrived with confidence. He is not the heaviest hitter, but he is a reliable tackler, including from deeper alignments. His wins above average (WAA) mark was among the highest for players at his position in 2025, driven by consistency as a run defender and strong forced incompletion production."
Bleacher Report Scouting Department
"Dillon Theineman's versatile skillset is being underrated as a true three-down impact defender in the NFL. He can line up anywhere, triggers downhill in a hurry, and gives the coaching staff his all whenever he's on the field.
He's a former 3-star recruit and a former 4-star transfer from Purdue following the 2024 season.
Thieneman broke into college football in a big way, earning second-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American honors as a freshman in 2023. He transferred to Oregon after his 2024 season and earned First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-American honors. In his three-year career, he compiled 306 tackles (188 solo), ten tackles for loss, two sacks, 8 interceptions, 14 passes defended, and two forced fumbles."
Todd McShay, The Ringer
"Thieneman is an experienced three-year starter with loads of reps at free safety, slot cornerback, and in the box. He has a unique blend of size, speed, explosive traits, instincts, and ball production. His performance at the combine—including a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, 41-inch vertical, and 10-foot-5 broad jump—was nothing short of sensational, and NFL sources told me his interviews were similarly impressive. Thieneman was a high-impact starter during his two seasons at Purdue (2023-24), racking up 210 tackles, eight pass breakups, six INTs (all as a freshman FS in 2023) and two forced fumbles. He transferred to Oregon for the 2025 season, where he played a high percentage of snaps in the slot and in the box (569, compared to 262 at FS) and finished with 92 tackles, five pass breakups, two INTs, 3.5 TFL and a sack. By comparison, he played nearly two-thirds of his snaps at free safety (1,173 snaps) during his first two seasons at Purdue (only 418 at slot or in box).
Thieneman’s football IQ really stands out, especially in coverage. He has excellent range in deep-zone coverage, fast eyes, early jumps, and elite closing burst to the ball. I love the angles he takes attacking the football in the air. He trusts his hands. He has a fast trigger versus the run and is at his best facing the quarterback, planting and driving downhill, and using proper angles and savvy to clip ballcarriers in a hurry.
He has some tightness and needs to be protected from matching with sudden WRs in deeper coverage. And he doesn’t have the ideal size to hold up frequently in the box in the NFL. He also comes in hot when filling the alley and will miss some tackles as a result. He’s not a thumper or powerful striker as a tackler. He will hit with some initial force but frequently needs to wrap and corral or drag down opponents."
Luke Easterling, Athlon Sports
"An impressive all-around athlete, Thieneman is a dangerous weapon when working downhill, using impressive speed and explosiveness to fly down into the box and make big stops in the ground game. He’s a sure tackler who brings a ton of pop in his pads, and he’s quick to process what’s happening in front of him, consistently putting himself in position to make plays. He has the intelligence and athleticism to be tasked with a wide range of roles and alignments, working from single-high, or in the slot, or down in the box. Thieneman shows impressive ball skills when it comes his way, tracking and breaking at the right moment to break up passes or haul them in himself. He plays with the toughness and competitive fire that rubs off on his teammates, and comes through in the clutch.
It’s a running theme amongst the most aggressive defenders in this group, but Thieneman’s penchant for flying down into the box is a double-edged sword. It can lead to over-pursuit and open cutback lanes against the run, as well as leaving voids in coverage in the play-action game. The most explosive slot receivers can stress him in man coverage, as he can struggle to match their quickness and elite straight-line speed. Improved technique when taking on blocks would make him more effective in run support.
The best defenses in today’s NFL have versatile, athletic safeties who can line up all over the place and make big plays because of their mental and physical prowess. Thieneman checks those boxes, and he’s polished enough to make an immediate impact, even in a complex role that asks a lot of him. Once he learns to be more disciplined in his pursuit angles, Thieneman could be a Pro Bowler."
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears select Dillon Thieneman: What the draft experts said
