Every Chicago Bears fan is still feeling the high of selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Bears needed help on defense and got a weapon in Thieneman, who can help instantly with the secondary that lost five starters in free agency, including safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. Now Thieneman will be joining free agent signing Coby Bryant at safety to give them a younger, more athletic unit.
This was a pick the Bears didn't think they would get because Thieneman was originally thought of as a lock to join Chicago's NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. After many mock drafts with the Vikings getting him, Minnesota instead used their 18th overall pick to take Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks.
Bears fans can't help by laugh at Vikings for their selection in the first round
Chicago had some interest in Banks as a potential second-round pick, but there were concerns about him going into the draft. The foot injury that cost him multiple games in college had many looking at him as a second-round pick and a risky pick to make.
It ends up working out well for the Bears as the Vikings reach on the Banks pick and Chicago ends up landing Thieneman. The great part about Thieneman is that he's a versatile weapon on defense who can stop runs in the box and create turnovers in pass coverage.
There's no doubt that Chicago needs help at defensive tackle after the struggles of Grady Jarrett in 2025, but Banks would have been a risk. Now, the Vikings are taking a chance on him, hoping he can stay healthy throughout his NFL career.
Read more: Bears have every reason to go nuts over 'chameleon' Dillon Thieneman
Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks like a genius for what he did in getting Thieneman, while the general manager-less Vikings are taking a chance on Banks. A massive win for Chicago on night one of the draft.