Shades of Brian Urlacher? Bears' No. 1 draft pick Dillon Thieneman an intriguing 'hybrid'

Just like New Mexico's Brian Urlacher was deemed too big to be an NFL safety in 2000, Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is too small to be an NFL linebacker in 2026. But there was a lot of safety in Urlacher's game and there figures to be a lot of linebacker in Thieneman's game.

It's always risky to compare any rookie to a Hall of Famer, but Thieneman's intriguing combination of speed, physicality and versatility have earned him that distinction. Both players shared the "hybrid" description in the draft process. For Urlacher in 2000, that label was a cause for trepidation — as talented as he was, did he have an NFL position? But — thanks in part to players like Urlacher — the NFL game has evolved to the point where Thieneman's versatility is nothing but an exciting attribute. In Dennis Allen's defense he could be like having a safety, nickel and linebacker on the field at the same time — a nice luxury in a defense that plays a lot of nickel.

Therein lies the allure of the Bears' taking Thieneman with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. He doesn't just fill a hole. He gives the Bears' defense a chance for a special player. Maybe not quite the Urlacher of safeties, but a step up from the Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker of safeties.

There's the rub. In drafting Thieneman, the Bears chose to pass on filling holes at defensive end and defensive tackle and upgrade a position that roster-wise was a relative strength on a shaky offense.

Byard literally was an All-Pro in Allen's defense at 32 in 2025. And the Bears' curiously let him go in free agency, where Byard signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Patriots. Brisker played every game in 2025 after having concussion issues in his first three seasons. He only became a liability in pass coverage last season (a 127.6 passer rating allowed per Pro Football Focus) when the Bears' dropped from 11th to 21st in the NFL in sacks. When the Bears were 11th in sacks in 2024, Brisker had a 67.9 passer rating allowed and he was considered — when healthy — a foundation of an improving defense, on and off the field. He signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Steelers in free agency.

Thieneman and Coby Bryant (three years, $40 million in free agency) figure to upgrade the position overall, but the Bears spending this much capital on starting safeties after two presumed "hits" — drafting Brisker in 2022 and signing Byard in 2024 — seems inefficient when bigger holes seem to loom at defensive end and defensive tackle.

Brian Urlacher's draft prospectus in Joel Buchsbaum's "2000 Draft Preview" for Pro Football Weekly.

We'll see about that. The Bears still have cards to play in upgrading the defensive line in edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo and second-year defensive tackle/end Shemar Turner (a 2025 second-round draft pick) — both of whom underperformed before suffering season-ending injuries. If Odeyingbo and Turner (and/or a Day 2 draft pick) can make a significantly bigger impact in 2026, the Thieneman pick has a better chance of looking like a stroke of genius by general manager Ryan Poles.

And it could turn out that way no matter what happens, if Thieneman becomes an Urlacher-type of hybrid difference-maker. But if he just another good Pro Bowl-caliber safety, the record shows you have about as much chance to get that kind of safety on Day 2 (or later) than in the first round.

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