The Chicago Bears had one of the best and most balanced offenses in the first year of the Ben Johnson era, which was a surprise to none. The defense, on the other hand, looked like a work in progress.
General manager Ryan Poles had to deal with a major exodus in the secondary, and given the shaky defensive line, most projections had them leaning heavily on defense in the 2026 NFL Draft. That wasn't necessarily the case, though they did find great value with Dillon Thieneman.
Thieneman was projected as a mid-first-round pick, but somehow fell right into their laps at No. 25. As questionable as the rest of the draft may have been, that might've been just enough for the Bears to draw a positive offseason grade.
At least, that's how Cody Williams of FanSided feels. In his latest column, he propped up the Bears' addition of Thieneman, giving them a B- offseason grade despite some questionable decisions in the draft.
Dillon Thieneman will make an immediate impact for the Bears
"Granted, it's sometimes easy to make a move when it falls in your lap, which is what the Chicago Bears experienced with Dillon Thieneman late in the first round. Their draft wasn't perfect, of course, but I did like some of the defensive shuffling that this team did to try and get more out of that side of the ball this season," wrote Williams.
Thieneman averaged nearly 8 tackles per game. He's a linebacker trapped in a safety's body, though he has the skill set and route-running ability of a cornerback. The result is an enticing hybrid safety who will give defensive coordinator Dennis Allen a true wild card.
He's coming off sealing two games with game-winning interceptions while piling up 92 tackles and five pass deflections. He also got one sack and earned first-team All-American honors in his lone season at Eugene.
His athleticism just popped off the charts on tape. He can shut down the run when he stacks the box as an additional defender, and he also excels as a big nickel. Then, when asked to drop back and stick to speedy wide receivers or tight ends in coverage, he holds his ground like the best of them.
Thieneman also has a strong nose for the ball and better hands than the average defensive back. Paired with DB coach Al Harris, the ultimate takeaway guru, he could be looking at multiple interceptions in his first year in the league.
Like all rookies, Thieneman will have to go through a learning process, and there will be some growing pains. The Bears also signed Coby Bryant, and he should be able to mitigate some of those miscues as a battle-tested veteran fresh off a Super Bowl-winning campaign.
The Bears are far from a perfect team, and they'll face a tougher schedule in 2026 as defending NFC North champions. That said, as much as they could've done a better job of addressing their defensive needs, they might've landed one of the biggest steals of the entire draft.
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