Why Bears' No. 25 pick in Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is steal of NFL Draft
The Bears are getting one of the best values in this year's draft.
Why Bears' No. 25 pick in Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is steal of NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Chicago Bears didn't make any trades in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but they wound up with a great player. As ESPN's Adam Schefter reports, the Bears have selected Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman, adding a premier defensive back at the 25th pick. This is a huge steal for the Bears, but why?
Thieneman was someone often predicted to go earlier in the draft, with the Minnesota Vikings at pick No. 18 a common link for the Ducks safety. This pick is a great one for the Bears.
2026 NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available Why Bears' Dillon Thieneman is steal of NFL Draft The Bears are adding Thieneman with the No. 25 overall pick, adding their first defensive player in the first round since they took linebacker Roquan Smith in the 2018 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old safety was one of the top defensive backs in this year's draft class, and the Bears need to replace Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker.