Speed, versatility, range. Those are the traits that drew the Chicago Bears to Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, the prospect they selected Thursday night with the No. 25 pick. Thieneman’s fluidity on the back end of the defense was evident throughout his college career, first at Purdue, then last season at Oregon.
And his fit in Dennis Allen’s defense should be obvious quickly. Best of all, the speed Thieneman seemed to play with was matched with an attention-grabbing 40-yard dash time of 4.35 seconds at the scouting combine this winter.
Said Bears director of college scouting Breck Ackley: “We thought he could run on tape. And then he goes to the combine and he confirms it. We have data. We have GPA. We have scouts who go see him live. And everybody along the way felt ‘OK, this guy can run.’”
Pair that with Thieneman’s natural recognition ability as a defender and it’s not difficult to understand how he became such a weapon. More from Ackley:
“That’s one of those deals where it’s a match between the instincts combined with his physical ability to run. That’s what allows him to play so fast.”