Column: 1st-round pick Dillon Thieneman gives the Chicago Bears a wealth of speed, range and disguise options
The best player on the Chicago Bears draft board intersected with what has been a clear need all offseason, which ought to provide a world of options for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. The Bears chose Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, the first time they’ve drafted a safety in Round 1 since Mark Carrier in 1990. Thieneman projects to be a Day 1 starter alongside Coby Bryant, the biggest free-agent pickup the team made in March.
No one will underestimate the job Kevin Byard III did as a playmaker and leader last season, and think of it in that order because a lot of the time when you hear leader first, it’s as if to compensate for the performance not being tip-top. NFL draft: Chicago Bears pick Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman — who ‘checked every box’ — at No. 25 Byard was an All-Pro selection after leading the league with seven interceptions and finished second on the team in tackles.
He was a terrific player and one of the tone-setters in the huddle, on the practice field and in the locker room. The Bears would have liked him back, but early negotiations didn’t get anywhere, so the club pivoted to Bryant in free agency on a three-year, $40 million contract. Now, with Thieneman, who was timed in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine at 4.
35 seconds, it’s a brand-new look on the back end. One of the things the Bears talked about shortly after the season ended was a desire to get more speed on defense. That box was checked Thursday night.
Allen did fine work plugging in veteran defensive back C. J. Gardner-Johnson as injuries created ongoing issues in the secondary, with cornerback Jaylon Johnson and nickel back Kyler Gordon missing much of the season.
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