Bears Snag Thieneman, Boost Defense

0:00It's April 24th. This is NFL News Today, your AI-powered source for everything in FL. Chicago Bears just snagged Oregon Safety Dillon Thiniman with a 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, plugging a massive. Gap in their secondary after losing Kevin Byard and Jaquam Briskler this offseason. They paired him up with free agent stud Kobe Bryant, who's a Super Bowl champ, to rebuild that back end for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Thiniman's the best player available at that spot, a versatile dude who can play deep, in the box, or anywhere really. Experts are hyped, handing out mostly A-grades and even a few A-plus's from spots like the athletic and sporting news. They call him a steal, praising his speed with that 4.3540 yard dash at the combine, plus his tackling and coverage skills from. The re-solid college year split between Purdue and Oregon. His stats pop 2, 3 of 6 tackles total, freshman All-American with 6 picks at Purdue, and

1:01second team All-American last year with 7, past breakups and 2 interceptions at Oregon. That athleticism, including 18 bench reps and a 41 inch vertical, makes him a day one starter. Bears, GM, Ryan Poles, played it perfect, waiting him out instead of trading up, turning a clear need into a first round win that could elevate this. All defense moving forward.