The Chicago Bears completely overhauled the safety position this offseason, moving on from all but one player, Elijah Hicks. Kevin Byard III signed with the New England Patriots, Jaquan Brisker signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, C.J. Gardner-Johnson joined the Buffalo Bills, and Jonathan Owens joined the Indianapolis Colts. The Bears then signed Coby Bryant and Cam Lewis and drafted Dillon Thieneman 25th overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
After spending his first two seasons with the Purdue Boilermakers, Thieneman transferred to the Oregon Ducks in 2025. He enjoyed a strong junior season, recording 96 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and five pass breakups, earning First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-American honors. The star safety ended his three-year college career, totaling 306 tackles, ten tackles for loss, two sacks, eight interceptions, 14 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
Chicago Bears’ key rookie is expected to succeed in Year 1
Chicago Bears, Dennis Allen
Jul 23, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen speaks during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
In an NFL.com article, Tom Blair identified ten rookies in position to succeed in Year 1 and beyond. He named Dillon Thieneman, noting that he is expected to take on a crucial role in Dennis Allen’s secondary as a rookie. Blair also noted that the defense will be pivotal to their success and a potential deep playoff run. He added that Thieneman was brought in to help address the unit’s inconsistency after it allowed a significant number of passing yards.
“Thieneman looks ready to take on a good chunk of the load in Dennis Allen’s secondary. The Bears ranked 16th in EPA per dropback last season and 22nd in passing yards allowed per game, propped up by the highest single-season interception rate (4.3%) since the Patriots rocked a 4.7% in 2019, plus the highest overall turnover total (33, including 23 picks and 10 fumbles) by any team since the Cowboys had 34 in 2021,” Blair said.
“Maybe Chicago will be able to repeat its dominance of those categories, butjust in case the tips and bounces don’t go the Bears’ way again, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some bonafide difference-making play from the safety spot, especially with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker now out of the picture. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 16-ranked prospect has a golden opportunity to help power a return trip to the playoffs for Chicago.”