Safety is arguably the biggest need for the Chicago Bears with a little over a month to go until the 2026 NFL Draft.
While the addition of former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant was a great move, the team lost Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, leaving Chicago with more work to do at the position, with the draft the most likely place to address it. NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter actually has the Bears trading down with the Miami Dolphins as Chicago uses the 30th pick to select Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
"The Bears luck into finding the athletic but tough-minded Thieneman available despite trading down for much-needed draft capital. He'll be effective in the box and playing deep as a rookie."
Bears would pull an all-time draft heist if they get Dillon Thieneman at 30
Thieneman dominated the NFL Combine as he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash and had the second-highest vertical jump with 41". Last season with the Ducks, he had 92 tackles, five pass deflections, two interceptions, and one sack, earning first-team All-American and All-Big Ten honors.
The Bears would be getting the whole package with Thieneman at safety, as he would be perfectly paired with Bryant in the secondary. There might be small things he will need to develop, but Thieneman is a bruising hitter who can make plays from anywhere on the field.
A great thing about this trade as well is that the Bears would most likely collect two or three picks out of the process from the Dolphins. Chicago would love to load up on Day 2 and 3 picks as they face salary cap concerns and use more of the draft to address their biggest roster needs.
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Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would start Thieneman on the first day he stepped on the field and make him the complete safety they were hoping Jaquan Brisker was going to be. This would be a great move for the Bears to make in the draft.