The Chicago Bears addressed a big need in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting safety Dillon Thieneman out of Oregon with the 25th overall pick, solidifying the back end of their secondary.
Thieneman will join Chicago’s big free-agent addition in Coby Bryant as the team’s new 1-2 punch at safety, featuring two players who will improve coverage and bring a much needed speed element to the Bears defense.
Head coach Ben Johnson, known for his offensive intelligence, has been all in with the front office and coaching staff in the lead up to the team’s first round selection. General manager Ryan Poles spoke with the media after selecting Thieneman and said that Johnson didn’t need to verbally say anything about the pick, his body language told the story of his excitement on their new safety.
“He was fired up,” Poles said. “We spent time together. He would come in, watch tape with our group. This is one of the guys that we had on when he was in. I mean, we both — I can now feel Ben. He doesn’t have to say anything. I can feel his body language start to get excited about somebody. You could feel it. Again, it’s that style of play that he has that, like I said, is contagious. It’s the type of player that we want on our football team.”
It was widely expected that the Bears were going to address their defense with the first round pick they owned, and they did just that by selecting Thieneman. Chicago has to improve on shutting down big play opportunities for their opponents, and getting faster safeties who excel in pass coverage should do just that. Thieneman’s clean tackling ability should make him an instant favorite between the fans and coaches
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears HC Ben Johnson had perfect reaction to Dillon Thieneman pick
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
