Dillon Thieneman expected to have big impact for Bears in Year 1

[ASFN Admin]

The Chicago Bears landed one of the biggest steals of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, who shores up Chicago's defensive backfield following the departures of Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker this offseason.

Thieneman has elite instincts, speed and playmaking ability that should make him a difference maker in Dennis Allen's defense opposite free-agent addition Coby Bryant. Last season with Oregon, Thieneman totaled 92 tackles, two interceptions, five pass breakups and one sack and earned First-Team All Big Ten honors.

NFL.com's Tom Blair identified 10 rookies who have the potenital to succeed immediately in Year 1, and it's no surprise that Thieneman made the cut at No. 7. In fact, he was the highest safety on the list, landing ahead of Dallas Cowboys' 11th overall pick Caleb Downs.

Even allowing for some regression, Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams seemingly got the Bears' offense to a place where it can drive another competitive season -- as long as the defense is able to pull a little more weight. 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.

Maybe Chicago will be able to repeat its dominance of those categories, but just 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.

The Bears defense led the NFL in takeaways (33) and interceptions (23) last season. While it's difficult to replicate such a dominant outing, the additions of Thieneman and Bryant brings more ballhawking talent following the departures of Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright.

With Thieneman expected to start right out of the gate for Chicago, he's in a position to make a top-10 impact as a rookie, especially if this Bears defense can take a step forward in 2026.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman pegged for significant impact in Year 1

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