The pick is in. With the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, landing one of the biggest steals of the first round.
The Bears aren’t used to selecting in the 20s, but their NFC North-winning season (which included a wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers) pushed them farther down the draft board than they’ve been in a long time, but they will be bringing in a very good prospect.
Thieneman is the first defensive player that the Bears have selected in the first round since Roquan Smith in 2018 (the longest streak in the NFL). He’s also the first safety taken by the Bears in the first round since Mark Carrier in 1990.
The Bears added Coby Bryant already this offseason, and now they will have Thieneman opposite him. Safety was a position of need for Chicago, and they went out and addressed it. Of all the needs that they have, they checked this one off in a big way. The Bears led the league in takeaways (33) and interceptions (23) last season, and now Thieneman will attempt to make them even more lethal in that regard.
Here are some of the top highlights from Chicago’s newest draft pick:
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Highlights of new Bears safety Dillon Thieneman
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
