Chicago Bears Scouting Staff Tagged Dillon Thieneman With 'Future Coach' Label

The Bears' brass have very high hopes for their first-round pick in the leadership department.

May 8, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) speaks during Rookie Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Leadership is a highly underrated aspect in a locker room. On-field talent and production are by far the most important characteristics for a player to enjoy a sustained career. However, their voice is another factor that could allow them to stick around for the long haul.

Many were concerned with the Bears' leadership in their secondary after they lost both starting safeties, Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard III, in the offseason. If the newest episode of 1920 Football Drive is any indication, those concerns clearly didn't exist inside Halas Hall.

Chicago's assistant of college scouting, Francis Saint Paul, and two of their national scouts, Brendan Rehor and John Syty, highlighted Dillon Thieneman as someone who stood out at the NFL Scouting Combine (two months before the Bears pulled the trigger on him at 25th overall).

Dillon Thieneman meets with the media at the 2026 NFL Combine. | Clark Wade/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"You want to talk about someone who loves football," Francis Saint Paul said. "He's a future coach. You could tell by the circles he drew (on the white board). The way he could draw (the responsibilities of) all 11 players."

Rehor also sung his praises after meeting with the University of Oregon product after the event. "The kid was intense," Rehor said. "You could tell he was super competitive and driven just talking through the ball and then you watch the tape and the guy's just coming down an hitting people. It's one speed and that's all he knows."

They were also taken aback by his intricate knowledge of the game after speaking with him.

"He grabbed the attention of the whole entire room just from a football intelligence standpoint and his awareness and attention to detail," Rehor said. "His recall was special. He spoke the language (and was) extremely fluid. He was all business."

Thieneman and Coby Bryant are the perfect duo both on and off the field

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Brisker and Byard complemented each other well on the field. The former is rock-solid against the run while the latter is a ball-hawking maven in center field. However, they both struggled at times (although the struggles were much less obvious in Byard's case) in the opposite department. They were both also vocal leaders.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has historically preferred safeties who can be interchangeable. That allows them the luxury of keeping opposing offenses on their toes with the defensive alignment. While that was never going to be an ideal situation with their former safety tandem, it will be possible with Bryant and Thieneman. They both have the versatility to play virtually anywhere in the secondary.

There could be a void in the leadership category in a post-Byard/Brisker world, but that doesn't appear to be something that they're at all concerned with. In fact, Thieneman was one of 15 players on their first-round wish list, and it certainly appears that he was near the top of that group.

"Everybody in that building says that he (Thieneman) is the hardest worker in the program, and that's a really high-end program at Oregon," west coast area scout Reese Hicks said. "Easy learner, really smart kid. He's going to be in the right spot."