When the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft officially reached its halfway point, Chicago Bears fans were thinking no different than they were going into the night.
At that point, this fan base figured there were still plenty of logical and often-mocked options on the table.
And then, eight picks later, Chicago stepped onto the clock while the "chameleon" Oregon safety, Dillon Thieneman, was somehow still on the board.
As most of us know, by now, Thieneman was selected by these Bears at pick no. 25 and became an immediate steal of Day 1. The Bears had no business getting him there, but once he got past the Minnesota Vikings at no. 18, Ryan Poles knew they had a shot.
"We weren't sure if he was going to make it [to us]. I think it was, 18, seemed to be the spot everyone said he was going to. We knew that if he got past that, there was a good chance [we'd get him]," Poles said in his post-Day 1 press conference.
Ryan Poles says what all Chicago Bears fans were thinking about Dillin Thieneman pick
As we just alluded to, Poles knew what even all of us knew.
It seemed like a foregone conclusion. Thieneman to the Vikings at no. 18 was supposed to be chalk. It was a no-brainer. The stars aligned long ago for this match made in heaven.
This was their Harrison Smith replacement ... until he wasn't.
The Vikings opted to go with Florida product, Caleb Banks, who is a defensive tackle that comes in with serious injury concerns after injuring the same foot multiple times, recently.
Vikings fans couldn't believe it. The team passed on Thieneman when quite honestly, this pairing was the most-mocked scenario of any pick outside of the top 5 over the last few months. Poles knew it. We knew it.
Thieneman to the Vikings was easy ... and Minnesota passed.
So now, instead, the Bears get their dream prospect at a spot they never saw coming. The Bears were somehow able to land a highly-versatile defensive back, who excels against both the run and pass, and possesses the elite speed which Dennis Allen covets.
This feels very similar to last year when the Bears lucked into drafting wide receiver Luther Burden III, but somehow, Thieneman's situation is even more shocking.
Read more: Packers just extended the WR they wish was Luther Burden III
After a couple years of Bears fans questioning a lot of Poles' draft choices, recent years have shown some real progress. Poles is seeing the best players on the board, and when they fall, he's taking them.
Thanks, Minnesota.
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