The Chicago Bears landed one of the steals of the draft in Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, a move that was lauded by analysts and even earned an elite grade from experts.
Thieneman also has a fan in veteran safety Coby Bryant, who signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Bears during free agency. After Chicago lost both starting safeties in Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, they got younger and faster with the pairing of Bryant and Thieneman, who should give defensive coordinator Dennis Allen the opportunity to have some fun.
Bryant took to his social media to share his reaction to the Bears’ selection of Thieneman, sharing a photo from the movie “White Men Can’t Jump” starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, who play a dynamic duo of basketball hustlers.
The Bears appear to have a dynamic safety duo in Bryant and Thieneman, and general manager Ryan Poles expects them to elevate the play of the defense with their playmaking abilities.
“That group can elevate,” Poles said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of turnovers. You can increase that number, which is going to be a big challenge for those guys. But I think, like I said, taking the air out. Anytime we’ve seen a defense and you feel like it’s suffocating because of the speed, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Coby Bryant had the best reaction to Bears’ pick of Dillon Thieneman
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
