Ryan Poles Explains Why Bears Drafted Dillon Thieneman at No. 25
Bears GM Ryan Poles breaks down the decision to draft Dillon Thieneman, praising his speed, versatility, and physical play after Chicago’s Round 1 pick.
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles met with the media after the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft and pulled back the curtain on why Chicago selected Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick.
Poles made it clear the decision was rooted in the Bears’ grading process, and Thieneman stood out immediately.
"So when we do our meetings, we take the average of, like, the high grades from the fall, and we work, you know, from the top down. When we started the safety position, there's a couple of good ones that we liked. Dillon's tape popped out, like, just a sense of urgency that it plays with the speed," Poles said. "His ability to close on the football, both in the run and the pass, stood out really, really quick.
"And as we watched, I mean, this guy is obsessed with football, plays fast, he's extremely smart, great leader, violent in the way that he plays the game, everything that we're looking for."
It’s the kind of evaluation that should have Bears fans excited.
Dillon Thieneman's Versatility Made Him A First-Round Safety
Poles also highlighted Thieneman’s versatility as a major factor in elevating his value.
"Then on top of that, you have some versatility," Poles said. "If he has to, you can go over and play a little bit of nickel. You can play free, you can play strong. Really good fit for what we're trying to do."
MORE: Chicago Bears Steal Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 After Stunning Draft Slide
That positional flexibility helped push Thieneman into Round 1 territory despite safeties often being devalued on draft boards.
"He's a violent football player," Poles said. "He strikes. There's a knockback element to his tackling. And again, just the speed. There's like speed, and there's like violent speed in terms of just the explosion off the spot. And that's what he brings. And it's pretty easy tape to watch."
Poles confirmed the Bears found themselves in an ideal draft-night scenario with Dillon Thieneman, one that every general manager hopes for. And it's a scenario Chicago Bears fans rarely see fall into their lap.
"This was a really cool opportunity where, again, the need and best player available fell the way that we needed it to."
