Bears Still Have Work to do at Safety Even With Dillon Thieneman Pick

The Chicago Bears have made their first selection in the 2026 NFL draft, and it was a great one. Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman had been consistently mocked to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 18, but he fell past Minnesota and all the way into the twenties. The Bears didn't hesitate once they came on the clock and selected Thieneman with the 25th overall pick.

The moment Dillon became a Bear 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CtFWT6Yl7E
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 24, 2026

This is a home run selection for the Bears. Chicago lost every one of their starting safeties from last season in free agency, necessitating a full rebuild at that position group. General manager Ryan Poles started by reaching a $40 million agreement with former Seahawks safety Coby Bryant in free agency, and now he's added a dynamic young playmaker in Thieneman.

The Bears still desperately need depth in the secondary

Despite the addition of Thieneman, the Bears still have a lot of work to do in their secondary. They are dangerously thin there on the depth chart, and they're one catastrophic injury away from that secondary becoming a liability. We saw that happen in 2025, when both Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson missed significant time with injuries. Only Nahshon Wright's improbable Pro Bowl season saved Chicago's secondary from being a complete disaster.

As of right now, the only other safeties on Chicago's roster besides Bryant and Thieneman are Gervarrius Owens, a practice squad signing in 2025, and former seventh-round pick Elijah Hicks. Should Bryant or Thieneman go down with a major injury, or if Thieneman needs more time to acclimate to NFL speed, the Bears don't have a starting-caliber safety to step into that hole.

The Bottom Line

Chicago Bears fan — Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If I were grading this Dillon Thieneman pick, I would give it an A+. Thieneman's fall down the draft board and into Chicago's lap gave Ryan Poles an easy decision. Roster needs perfectly aligned with draft value at the No. 25 slot, and that's the best you can ask for in the NFL draft. This is also a great landing spot for Thieneman, who will now get to be coached by Al Harris, one of the most highly regarded defensive back coaches in the entire NFL. Wherever Harris goes, the defensive backs just seem to get better, and that bodes well for Thieneman's career.

However, the Bears can't consider the safety position to be ready for the 2026 NFL season just yet. It might be a good idea to pick another one later in the draft, or make a veteran signing after the draft is over.

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