The 2025 NFL season is down to one final game.
The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will battle for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California. While the Patriots and Seahawks prepare for the highly anticipated matchup, every other team has already begun deep dives into ways to improve its roster so it can be one of the last teams standing. A key part of making that happen is drafting the right players.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah released his first mock draft of the season, and his selection for the Bears will definitely surprise people. With the No. 25 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Jeremiah has the Bears selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
“The Bears figure to be in the safety market with the contracts expiring for Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Thieneman can play both safety spots and could cover in the slot if needed.”
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Add in Jonathan Owens among the safeties with expiring contracts. However, general manager Ryan Poles and Byard expressed mutual interest in bringing back the veteran safety, which could influence how the Bears approach safeties in this upcoming draft.
As for Thieneman, he played all over the Oregon Ducks' defense in 2025. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot, 205-pound junior safety lined up 118 snaps in the slot, 434 in the box, and 247 defensive snaps deep.
He played 812 defensive snaps across 15 games and finished with 72 total tackles, allowed 18 catches on 29 receptions, forced five incompletions, and intercepted two passes.
Thieneman has been a highly productive player throughout his three years in college, and there is no debate about that. However, drafting a safety, one that can play multiple positions, could be a bit rich for a team that needs to address both the offensive and defensive lines.
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It's likely the Bears won't be able to bring back Byard and Brisker, which does create a need in the secondary. There's no question that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would like to deploy a player with Thieneman's talent.