"“Obviously, you can see his athleticism on tape, but I just think the biggest thing was he found his way around the ball a lot. And to be able to do that, there has to be some intelligence about him, and there has to be some instincts about him. And I think that was the first thing.”"
"“When you're looking at college safeties or safeties in general, it's a production position. And that production can come in a lot of different ways, whether it's tackles or interceptions or PBUs or any of those types of things. But safety is a position that you find your way around the ball, the best ones do, and I thought that showed up with him.”"
"“Adding players who have speed and versatility in spades was at the core of the Chicago Bears' offseason roster-building philosophy. For instance, those traits show up in a big way for free-agent safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush. So it should come as no surprise that Chicago's front office zeroed in on Dillon Thieneman, whose speed allowed him to make plays on the ball at every level.”"
The Chicago Bears faced difficulty generating pressure with their front four in 2025, and offseason moves did not clearly resolve the pass-rush issues. More similar challenges are expected in 2026, but the defense can still improve if it can dial up pressure. Dillon Thieneman is expected to contribute as a first-round rookie, with emphasis on his athleticism and his frequent presence around the ball. The defensive coordinator highlighted intelligence and instincts as key traits behind his ability to find the ball. Safety production was framed as coming through tackles, interceptions, and pass breakups, with the best safeties consistently locating the ball. The roster-building approach prioritized speed and versatility, reflected in other additions as well.
Read at Bleacher Nation
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