Rough Safety History Won't Stop Bears' Dillon Thieneman From Chasing Defensive Rookie of the Year

The Chicago Bears landed one of the biggest steals in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the selection of Oregon's Dillon Thieneman at 25th overall. He was unanimously considered the second-best safety in this year's class (behind only Ohio State's Caleb Downs), and someone who should easily grab one of the two starting safety jobs from day one.

Thieneman is a versatile chess piece who has experience lining up all over the field for Oregon (and Purdue for two years before that). He was one of the most instinctual playmakers in the entire class, and brings rare speed for the safety position (he ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine).

The Bears desperately needed to improve their defense after allowing the sixth-most yards in the league last season, and Thieneman is the perfect man to help them limit explosive plays on the back end. He also isn't afraid to come down and get his jersey dirty in the running game, which should also help them improve last season's fourth-worst rush defense.

While his starting job is all but locked in stone, it's still unclear what type of impact he will provide on the defensive side of the ball. What should fans expect from Thieneman in year one?

The rook is a perfect fit for Dennis Allen's scheme

Dillon Thieneman catches an interception — Nov 29, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) intercepts a pass against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has historically preferred his safeties to be interchangeable. That allows them to keep opposing offenses on their toes with their defensive alignment and prevents them from creating mismatches where a player may be worse in run support or pass coverage.

Jaquan Brisker's lack of versatility is presumably a major reason why they moved on from him this offseason (even with the relatively cheap contract he signed). He was great against the run, but could be exploited in the passing game. Those concerns won't exist with Thieneman. He can do it all, and that was presumably why they valued him over Emmanuel McNeill-Warren (who was a much closer comparison to Brisker).

While Thieneman is a much closer comparison to Kevin Byard III, the same can be said for free agent acquisition Coby Bryant. Neither player will be relied upon to play those specific roles, and Allen will effectively be able to reform the safety position into one that is much better at keeping opposing offenses guessing.

He is primed to make big impact from day one

Dillon Thieneman breaks up a pass against Minnesota — Nov 14, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) breaks up a pass play intended for Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end Jameson Geers (86) during the first half at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Thieneman is entering a great situation in Chicago. The Cowboys and Vikings were two of his most popular pre-draft landing spots (largely because he's a white safety and Minnesota's long-time white safety just retired), and both of those teams will be fielding much worse secondaries than the Bears have. He would effectively be relied upon to be their best player from day one.

The University of Oregon product certainly has the potential to become the best player in Chicago's secondary, but that endeavor isn't going to be an easy one. Jaylon Johnson is one of the league's premier cover men when healthy. The same can be said for Kyler Gordon among slot cornerbacks. Coby Bryant was one of the most underrated members of the Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning defense last season. The pressure to perform at an extremely high level from the jump isn't going to be as drastic.

The lack of added pressure and his versatility to play all over the field should allow him to stuff the stat sheets as a rookie. Unfortunately for him, the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award usually goes to a member of the front seven. While he's got his work cut out for him in the DROTY conversation (Bears' rookie safety Mark Carrier was the last safety to win the award in 1990), it's not out of the realm of possibilities if they repeat last year's performance in the win column and he becomes an integral cog in turning the defense around.

Projection: 85 tackles, 7 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles

Add us as a preferred source on Google