Bears first-round rookie Dillon Thieneman has been thrown into the fire in more ways than one during his first NFL training camp
The Chicago Bears have been feeding rookie safety Dillon Thieneman through a firehose throughout training camp, including taking on the lead role with the first-team offense and going up against tight end Colston Loveland.
The Chicago Bears are eight days into training camp, and no player has been getting thrown into the fire more than first-round rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. Envisioned as a starting-caliber player in Dennis Allen’s secondary from the moment he was drafted, Thieneman has done nothing to dispel that notion through the early stages of camp.
Thieneman opened camp alongside safety Coby Bryant with the first-team defense, starting the early stages of building the interchangeable tandem Allen envisioned having at the position. That plan took a significant hit earlier this week when Bryant went down with a knee injury and was carted off the field.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that Bryant will be sidelined 8-to-10 weeks. Bears head coach Ben Johnson pushed back on that report, saying the team is still evaluating Bryant’s injury and timeline. Regardless, the team is expecting to be without Bryant for multiple weeks.
“Obviously it sucks to lose a guy like that for any particular time,” Allen said of Bryant’s injury. “And he’s a big part of what we have planned to do and will still be a big part of what we have planned to do. But in all adversity also comes opportunity. So it’ll be another opportunity for some other guys to step up.”
Dillon Thieneman has been embracing that challenge this week without Bryant
Regardless of the exact timeline, Bryant’s absence has elevated Thieneman’s role considerably. He has continued to work with the first-team primarily alongside Cam Lewis with the first-team defense. Thieneman shared he’s actually locker mates with Lewis and how the veteran has helped him handle this evolving situation at camp.
“He definitely knows how to play in the back end, knows different tendencies, knows how to work well with other guys,” Thieneman said of Lewis. “He’s another guy I’ve been asking questions, just to get his viewpoint on the game.”
While Bryant’s absence will be an impactful loss for Thieneman and the entire defense, Allen made sure to note that nothing’s changing when it comes to the staff’s expectations for their first-round pick.
“I think our expectation for him, as a rookie, is that each and every day he learns a little bit more and he gets a little bit better,” Allen shared. “There’s a lot to learn in the National Football League, there’s a lot going on. The volume of what we do is more than what most rookies have ever done before. The volume of what they’re seeing from our offense is going to be more than what they’re used to seeing. I don’t think we put any higher expectations on him.”
The challenge Colston Loveland and the rest of Chicago’s offense has brought for Thieneman
Beyond adjusting to life without Bryant and still learning on the fly with the first-team defense, Thieneman has been forced to go up against some elite-caliber weapons being deployed by Ben Johnson’s offense such as Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, and most notably Colston Loveland.
“I’m very grateful to go against them,” Thieneman explained. “They’re very good players. Going against them everyday just helps me get better, iron sharpens iron. I’m very glad to go against them.”
Loveland has presented the biggest on-field challenge for Thieneman. The team’s second-year tight end has looked unguardable throughout most of camp, and Thieneman has felt that firsthand going up against him in coverage.
“He’s tall, he’s got long arms, and he’s fast. He’s got a good burst,” Thieneman said when asked what makes Loveland difficult to cover. “Just staying connected with him, because he can get out of his breaks pretty quick, and just his length. I have to cover more ground against him.”
Bears exploring Thieneman’s versatility across the secondary, with or without Bryant
Beyond the safety position, the Bears had big plans to explore Thieneman’s versatility. Chicago still has questions at nickel with Kyler Gordon sidelined, and Johnson said it remains unknown when Gordon will return to action.
Lewis filled in at nickel before sliding over to safety, and Thieneman revealed Al Harris has been training him a bit more at nickel as well. The staff is trying to get Thieneman overall more accustomed to learning every defensive back role, just as they outlined when he arrived at rookie minicamp.
“I feel very comfortable [doing that],” Thieneman said. “Still obviously can get more reps and can be better at that. Always working to get better. But, I feel good down there. I feel like with more reps I’ll just get more and more comfortable.”
The eye-catching splash day still hasn’t arrived yet for Thieneman, but he’s taking it day-by-day with his progression. Ahead of Thursday’s practice, Johnson noted that Thieneman’s tape from Tuesday looked like what the Bears saw when they evaluated him at Oregon. That’s an encouraging sign for a player still adjusting to life in the NFL.
“You can see that play speed start to show up,” Johnson explained. “He is thinking a lot and the way he’s wired is he wants to be on every little thing. When you are like that, you can potentially – in your quest to be right every time – slow down. It’s just a matter of getting enough reps to where he can let loose and get after it.”
The Bears are throwing everything Thieneman right now, and every rep he takes with the starters against players like Loveland only accelerates his development. By the time Week 1 rolls around, this stretch of training camp will be the reason Thieneman looks like the player they envisioned when they drafted him in the first-round.
