The Chicago Bears have a ton of concerns at the safety position with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker pending free agents.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been open about re-signing Byard, which leaves the team to find a replacement for Brisker in the 2026 NFL Draft. There is one name that has been on every Bears fan's wishlist to select with the 25th overall pick: Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
Despite the fact that Thieneman has met with the Bears at the NFL Combine, he might have put himself out of the range for the team to select him after his workout performance. He ran the fourth fastest time on the 40-yard dash with 4.35 seconds while also finishing second in the vertical jump with 41".
Dillon Thieneman helped himself to be select well before the Bears
The Bears would have loved to have Thieneman with the 25th overall pick, but that kind of speed is hard to find in a safety, so some team within the top 20 will get him. It was always a long shot, but if a run at quarterbacks happens or something like that, it might cause him to drop to the Bears unexpectedly.
Chicago's most logical choice at safety right now is Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren after having 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one touchdown, and a half of a sack last season. McNeil-Warren ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and was in the top 10 in the broad jump.
There is also the option of the Bears passing on a safety in the first round and going with a defensive tackle or edge rusher. Chicago could always consider signing someone like Kansas City Chiefs free agent safety Bryan Cook.
Read more: Zane Durant's combine results sent an unmistakable message to Bears' Ryan Poles
The Bears at least have some good options to pick from, but if Thieneman is somehow available at 25, they have to pounce on selecting him.