As the month of March continues and all 32 franchises look ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have a handful of needs to address, with safety being one of them. Getting younger and faster on defense will be a major priority for the Bears and part of that will include finding players who fit Dennis Allen's defense.
For the Chicago Bears, this year's draft will represent a significant opportunity to continue adding to the foundation that was established during the first year of the Ben Johnson-Ryan Poles era. With four picks inside the top-100, including two in the second-round, one name that should intrigue the Bears is Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman, one of Oregon's best players over the last three seasons.
Let's get into our scouting report on Thieneman.
Dillon Thieneman, Oregon Ducks, (6-foot-0, 201 pounds)
From his NFL.com draft profile via Lance Zierlein:
"Savvy three-year starter with NFL size, speed and alignment versatility. Thieneman is an extension of his defensive coordinator, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts. He's an instinctive, rangy safety who can roll down into big nickel or robber positioning. He has a good feel for play design and route concepts in zone but has average change of direction to match breaks in man. He's not a big thumper near the line, but he rushes into the action with a relentless pursuit that should allow him to keep stacking high scores in the tackle columns. Thieneman checks important boxes for teams looking to add versatile playmakers in the secondary."
Film:
Strengths:
- Rare versatility and production for a player of his size and caliber.
- Has a knack for being a true ballhawk and making plays.
- Athletic and rangy defensive back who is able to see the entire field.
- High-level pursuit ability that always sees him be near the football.
- Eyes are always on the quarterback.
- Fast and physical run defender who seems to hit like a linebacker at times.
- Solid tackler who makes his presence felt with every hit.
Weaknesses:
- Lacks the ability to change directions with ease.
- Is impatient at times, especially when plays don't develop as quickly as he anticipates.
- Struggles to shed blocks against bigger, faster, and stronger wide receivers in the run game.
- Needs to react a little bit faster in the passing game against two and three-man route concepts.
Is Thieneman a fit in the Bears defense?
With a clear goal of upgrading the secondary this offseason, Thieneman is everything and more that Allen can ask for. He's a rangy prospect whose instincts are among the best in this class, and in the Bears defense, he'd make the rest of the secondary and linebacker core expendable.
As a player who can line up in the slot or at either safety position, Thieneman fits the versatility that Allen covets in a safety and can be a real force for years to come.
With Chicago signing veteran Coby Bryant to play free safety, Thieneman could step in as the perfect complement to Bryant's skillset, giving the defense one of the league's top safety duos and allowing the backend of the defense to alternate between playing two-high or one-high safety looks, providing the defense with a chance to play more complex safety looks.
Conclusion:
Overall, Thieneman is an excellent prospect who needs some refinement but has the traits needed to be an impact player for a decade in the NFL. He's excellent in coverage and will entice NFL teams by his natural playmaking ability as a defender who understands how complex NFL offenses work.
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