Dillon Thieneman
Thieneman with the Purdue Boilermakers in 2023
No. 31 – Chicago Bears
Position Safety
Roster status Unsigned draft pick
Personal information
Born (2004-08-08) August 8, 2004 (age 21)
Listed height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight 201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school Westfield (Westfield, Indiana)
College
  • Purdue (2023–2024)
  • Oregon (2025)
NFL draft 2026: 1st round, 25th overall
Career history
  • Chicago Bears (2026–present)
Awards and highlights
  • First-team All-American (2025)
  • Third-team All-American (2023)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Dillon Thieneman (born August 8, 2004) is an American professional football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.

Early life

Thieneman attended Westfield High School in Westfield, Indiana. In Thieneman's high school career, he totaled 246 tackles with 11 being for a loss, half a sack, 11 pass deflections, five interceptions, and a fumble recovery.[1] Thieneman committed to play college football at Purdue over other schools such as Indiana, Minnesota, and Northwestern.[2][3]

College career

Purdue

Thieneman was named a starting safety as a freshman in 2023.[4] In his first career game in the season opener, he recorded ten tackles and an interception, earning Big Ten Conference freshman of the week honors.[5] The following week versus Virginia Tech, Thieneman recorded another interception.[6] In week 6, he recorded eight tackles and an interception in a loss to Iowa. For his performance, Thieneman was named the Big Ten freshman of the week for the second time.[7][8]

In the final week of the season, Thieneman recorded two interceptions and eight tackles as Purdue defeated Indiana to keep the Old Oaken Bucket. He was named Big Ten freshman of the week for the fifth time, becoming the first defensive player to do so.[9]

Thieneman was named the Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year as the best freshman in the Big Ten. He set Purdue freshman records for interceptions (6) and solo tackles (74).[10] On December 11, Thieneman was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, one of two freshmen to be named.[11]

On December 4, 2024, Thieneman announced that he would enter the NCAA transfer portal.[12]

Oregon

Thieneman transferred to play for the Oregon Ducks for the 2025 season.[13] He made 15 appearances for the Ducks in 2025, recording 96 combined tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and five pass deflections. Thieneman declared for the 2026 NFL draft following the season.[14]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span Wingspan 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0+1⁄8 in
(1.83 m)		 201 lb
(91 kg)		 31+3⁄8 in
(0.80 m)		 9 in
(0.23 m)		 6 ft 6+1⁄8 in
(1.98 m)		 4.35 s 1.52 s 2.55 s 41.0 in
(1.04 m)		 10 ft 5 in
(3.18 m)		 18 reps
All values from NFL Combine[15][16]

Thieneman was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft with the 25th overall pick by the Chicago Bears.[17]

Personal life

Thieneman has two brothers, Jake, and Brennan, who played safety at Purdue.[18][19]

References

  1. ^ "Dillon Thieneman Football Stats". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Carmin, Mike. "Purdue football lands commitment from Westfield defensive back Dillon Thieneman". Journal & Courier. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Jellson, Dub. "Welcome Aboard: Dillon Thieneman". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Freshman Dillon Thieneman carves starting role for Purdue Football". Journal & Courier. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  5. ^ Miller, Travis. "Dillon Thieneman Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Frank, Evan. "Purdue football vs. Virginia Tech: 9 hours later, Boilers beat Hokies for big road win". IndyStar. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Olinger, Daniel. "Purdue Safety Dillon Thieneman Named B1G Freshman of the Week". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  8. ^ Jellson, Dub. "Dillon Thieneman named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for second time". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  9. ^ Shackelford, Brianna. "Dillon Thieneman wins Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season". WLFI. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  10. ^ King, Sam. "Purdue football's Dillon Thieneman named Big Ten Freshman of the Year". Lafayette Journal & Courier. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Backus, Will. "2023 AP All-America team: LSU QB Jayden Daniels headlines as SEC leads with nine first-team selections". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  12. ^ Olson, Max (December 4, 2024). "Dillon Thieneman to transfer after two seasons at Purdue". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  13. ^ "Purdue star safety Dillon Thieneman staying in Big Ten, transfers to nation's top program". indystar.com. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  14. ^ "Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman declares for 2026 NFL Draft". duckswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  15. ^ "Dillon Thieneman Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  16. ^ "Dillon Thieneman College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  17. ^ Mayer, Larry (April 23, 2026). "Bears select Oregon DB Dillon Thieneman 25th overall". chicagobears.com. Chicago Bears.
  18. ^ Golden, Aaron (August 22, 2023). "Family tradition: Thieneman on the rise in Purdue secondary". The Herald Bulletin. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  19. ^ Ambrogi, Mark (August 15, 2022). "Athlete of the Week: Westfield safety follows older brothers' path to Purdue". Current Publishing. Retrieved October 10, 2023.