After the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, several experts and media networks were quick to hand out grades on how they felt teams drafted on Thursday night, including the Chicago Bears. While several teams moved around the board and traded to get into a spot that helped them land their desired player, Chicago waited for the board to fall to them and were able to come away with safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 overall.
The selection of Thieneman addressed a huge need for Chicago's defense, pairing the new rookie alongside free-agent signing Coby Bryant, completely remaking the safety position under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Filling a big void on their roster with one of the most talented players at the position, the Bears were praised by Pro Football Focus, who gave the Thieneman selection an "elite" grade -- just one of two picks to earn the honor.
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)1 / 1How NFL experts graded the Bears' selection of Dillon Thieneman2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)1 / 1How NFL experts graded the Bears' selection of Dillon Thieneman2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)"Thieneman didn’t often make it to Chicago in mock drafts, but the Bears will certainly be happy he was available here. Thieneman earned 89.0-plus PFF grades on multiple defenses — 2023 with Purdue and 2025 with Oregon — and can cover, defend the run and bring high-end athleticism. Given that the Bears came into this draft with a clear need at safety, this is an ideal scenario for Dennis Allen’s defense."
It was a great value pick for the Bears to address a position of need in the first round of this year's draft, as Thieneman joins free-agent addition Coby Bryant in the secondary, and now they'll look to build off of that throughout the rest of draft weekend.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears earned 'elite' grade for Dillon Thieneman selection in NFL draft