It's clear when Chicago Bears fans watch the game tape on their new first-round selection, Dillon Thieneman, that this is a guy who can make all the plays needed in the secondary.
That has been demonstrated through Thieneman's college career at Purdue and Oregon as he has racked up 188 tackles, 13 pass deflections, eight interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two sacks in three seasons. Thieneman spoke to Chicago media, where he opened up about what kind of player the Bears would be getting with a warning sent.
"If I can utilize my speed, I can go get that ball," Thieneman said via The Score's Chris Emma.
Dillon Thieneman will use his speed to make plays on Bears' defense
That speed Thieneman talked about was on full display at the NFL Combine, where he ran the fourth-fastest time, 4.35 seconds, on the 40-yard dash. He also had the second-highest vertical jump with 41".
There is a clear weakness in Thieneman that the Bears must exploit with their defense. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has so many ways he can use Thieneman in this defense that it makes it fun for the fan base to be in the dark about how he will be utilized soon enough.
Chicago's secondary got a lot better with Thieneman there, especially after the Bears lost Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Nahshon Wright. Coby Bryant was a strong addition to the secondary to start the offseason, but Thieneman gives the Bears a bit of a long-term solution back there.
His playmaking skills will at least fit with how the defense was a season ago, with the NFL-leading 33 takeaways. While a lot of those guys who created those turnovers are gone, they still have some key players who can get it done, and Thieneman is a nice piece to that.
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Bears fans are hoping to see more of the same with Thieneman as he transitions to the pro game.