No one could have imagined Chicago Bears rookie safety Dillon Thieneman would make the kind of impact he has in his first year, but he is slowly becoming an emerging star.
The Bears selected Thieneman in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 25th overall pick. At the time, it was considered a massive steal since Thieneman was seen as a top-20 pick, and it even surprised the Bears themselves when they got him.
It seemed early on in training camp that there was a chance that Thieneman could eventually develop into a star on defense. Turns out he only needed three games to convince the fan base that he is the real deal.
Dillon Thieneman is a star in the making for the Bears
Through three games, Thieneman has already shown the versatility that the Bears really valued in his game. He has racked up 23 tackles, three pass deflections, one quarterback hit, and one interception.
Pro Football Focus graded Thieneman at a 71.8 overall, ranking 20th out of 89 eligible safeties. He also has a coverage grade of 66.4 (ranked 23rd) and a run-defense grade of 72.8 (ranked 30th).
Chicago has seen what Thieneman can do with run support while playing in the box, as well as getting pressure on the quarterback through blitzes. His coverage skills have been just as good, allowing a 30.2 passer rating for the season.
With the Bears preparing for the New York Jets in Week 4, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen talked about the impact that Thieneman has already had on the defense. Allen didn't mince words about the improvement he has shown over the weeks and what he could become in this unit.
"Really, Dillon, each and every, each and every day, each and every week, he continues to improve," Allen said via CHGO. "He's starting to get, you know, a better feel for the defense, a better feel for how the offense is trying to attack us. You know, he's becoming the guy that we thought that he would be when we evaluated him in college. I think, you know, anytime you have a guy that's got the speed and the range, back there, they kind of become an eraser. You know, they eliminate explosive plays. And so he's still in the early part of his development. I think there's still a lot of growth left for him."
Chicago has had their issues in the secondary, with the cornerback position being up and down. At safety, Coby Bryant's injury really threw a wrench in the Bears' plans, and they had to lean on Xavier Woods and Cam Lewis to step up in that role.
It also put a lot on Thieneman as a rookie to be the versatile safety and slot corner they needed. He's been able to answer the bell and do so much more than was expected of him.
Read more: D'Andre Swift is quietly having a career season with Bears
The Bears should count themselves lucky that Thieneman has become the player he has, as he is truly becoming a prime candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. What's scary to think about is that he is only going to get better from here.
Add us as a preferred source on Google