Dillon Thieneman Already Showing His Comfortability in Bears Defense
· Yahoo Sports
Dillon Thieneman wasn't just anointed the starting role opposite fellow safety Coby Bryant. The Chicago Bears' first-round draft pick started with the backups, earning his way into defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's starting lineup.
One of the quickest ways for Thieneman to establish trust with the coaching staff is to play fast, which the former Oregon safety can do with his 4.35 speed, and do so while correctly finishing his responsibility on a given play.
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
“The more reps you get, the faster you can play and the less you have to think," Thieneman said. "With certain defenses, there are strengths that the defense has and then there are weaknesses that the offense will try to target. If you understand those weaknesses, that’s what you can really look out for.”
Dillon Thieneman vs. Makai Lemon, two first-round draft picks.
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) April 24, 2026
Lemon runs a nice route and gets Thieneman to open up his hips, but the Bears' safety stays composed, gets his head around and keeps the wide receiver in front of him.
Incomplete pass. pic.twitter.com/SlZoMzu2F2
Something that stood out from Thieneman's college tape was his constant communication, always talking to his teammates prior to the snap.
It didn't take long for the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to display that trait in a Bears uniform. According to The Bigs' Herb Howard, he noticed Thieneman initiating the defensive calls to his teammates when the defense was in the red zone.
“The safety’s responsibility is to get their side lined up and then communicate with the other safety on the other side," Thieneman said. "As safeties, you have to take control, be loud, be direct, and make sure everyone else gets lined up.”
Although this happened in a June minicamp practice, it does highlight Thieneman's natural ability to speak up and do so with conviction. Before Thieneman transferred to Oregon for one season, he spent his first two years at Purdue.
In just one season with the Ducks, Thieneman established himself as a vocal leader for Oregon and displayed a deep understanding of what the team was doing defensively and how opposing offenses wanted to attack the scheme.
The Bears need that football acumen and instincts to show up in Allen's defense, and the more reps the 21-year-old safety gets with his teammates, the more those traits will appear.
Bryant has already seen Thieneman's ability to diagnose plays show up practice.
“That's a special trait," Bryant said. "You can't teach that honestly. That's just knowing football and trusting his ability and like I said, he's been doing a great job, and he continues to make plays.”
With the Bears officially on summer break, the rookie will focus on recovering his body and then shift to making a specific plan that includes his routine and goals he wants to accomplish over the next six weeks before retuning for training camp.
When Thieneman returns, he then plans to speak with his coaches on how he can earn more first-team reps, so that everyone is one the same page.
"You have to work to earn your job and work to keep your job," Thieneman said. "There’s always someone coming up trying to replace you or someone trying to keep their job, so you have to fight every day.”