There was a sense of uncertainty surrounding the 2026 NFL Draft beyond the first pick, leaving teams guessing who they would be fortunate enough to select when their turn came. The Chicago Bears were able to fill both a position of need and select one of the best players on the board, drafting Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 pick in the first round.
It was a bit of a surprise to see Thieneman fall to No. 25, but he’s a tremendous fit in Chicago. The Bears will cherish Thieneman's speed and versatility to play across the formation. He’s a dream prospect for Bears’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. He's capable of the big hits over the middle and able to play the run against an aggressive division on the ground, as well as take away the vertical passing game along the boundary. Thieneman can be the Swiss Army knife that Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen desire for their defense. The Bears are overhauling their secondary, and Thieneman figures to be a key piece.
The Athletic gave the Bears some high praise for the pick, scoring an A-plus grade for selecting the Oregon safety.
"The Bears completely turned over their safety corps this offseason, then one of the position’s top prospects plopped in their laps," The Athletic's Scott Dochterman wrote. "Thieneman can do it all for the Bears — he’s a hitter, can cover anyone … and he’s from Indiana (perhaps the Bears’ new home?). This is a big-time win for GM Ryan Poles, and it’s my favorite pick of the first round."
Thieneman spent only one season with the Ducks after transferring in from Purdue, but his impact left a lasting impression. Oregon deployed the All-American safety across their defense, both as a deep safety and as a rover over the middle. He finished second on the team with 92 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass deflections in the secondary. Thieneman earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
Thieneman is the second Duck to be drafted in 2026, following tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who went No. 16 overall to the New York Jets. Thieneman also helped Oregon extend its streak of first-round picks to seven years in a row, dating back to when the Los Angeles Chargers took Justin Herbert No. 6 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
That was followed by Penei Sewell's selection by the Detroit Lions at No. 7 in 2021, Kayvon Thibodeaux's selection by the New York Giants at No. 5 in 2022, Christian Gonzalez's selection by the New England Patriots at No. 17 in 2023, Bo Nix's selection by the Denver Broncos at No. 12 in 2024, Derrick Harmon’s selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 in 2025 and Josh Conerly’s selection by the Washington Commanders at No. 29 in 2025 as well.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Chicago Bears receive top-tier grade for drafting Dillon Thieneman