Surprise draft landing! Oregon's Dillon Thieneman, a ball-hawking safety, finds his ideal fit with the Bears, poised for immediate impact and a Super Bowl run.
Based on the assumptions of most mock drafts, it appeared Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman would not likely go past the Minnesota Vikings at No. 18.
If the Vikings did not draft Thieneman, there was a possibility the Dallas Cowboys could take him. Instead, Minnesota pulled a shocker, selecting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks.
The Cowboys had no need for Thieneman after taking Ohio State safety Caleb Banks at No. 11, a player most expected would go inside the top 10.
The Chicago Bears selected Thieneman with the No. 25 pick. The Bears needed a safety after losing several of them this offseason, including starters Kavin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker.
Field Yates of ESPN thinks Thieneman landed in a perfect spot. He named the Thieneman pick as one of his favorite picks from the first round.
"The Bears had to remodel their entire safety room this offseason and have successfully done so with the addition of Thieneman and free agent signee Coby Bryant," Yates wrote.
"Thieneman has the best ball skills in the class and can fly down into the box in run support. He should be a favorite of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen."
Bears head coach Ben Johnson noted that Thieneman is a rare type of safety that offensive coordinators have to "account for" when game planning.
"From being an offensive guy, it’s rare that you see a safety as a guy who you really worry about," Johnson said. "And yet it was pretty quickly that you could turn on his tape and realize he is always around the football, he has a knack for the football. He is a great tackler and when he does it, he does it with violence.
"So to me his style of play showed up. I thought Oregon did a great job of putting him in a position to succeed. And he really thrived in that system... And then when you combine that with the athlete he is, the football IQ, to us it was a no-brainer when he was there."
Thieneman is going to a situation where he can immediately succeed. He's going to a team that made the playoffs last year and is a Super Bowl contender.
Thieneman should be a Day 1 starter in Chicago, and could have a long career after going back to the Midwest.