Can Dillon Thieneman Actually Outproduce Jaquan Brisker for Bears in Year 1?

The Chicago Bears have undergone massive change at the safety spot this offseason and Dillon Thieneman is part of the overhaul.

Chicago let both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker walk in free agency, which is admittedly risky because both played well in 2025.

Now, the Bears are banking on a brand new duo in Thieneman and free-agent acquisition Coby Bryant, who signed a three-year, $40 million deal in March.

When it comes to who will be replacing who, Thieneman will take over the strong safety role Brisker is vacating, as that's where the Bears seem to have him pegged to playing most in 2026.

"Thieneman knows the team will rely on his versatility," Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times said. "He’s playing strong safety, where he’s close to the line of scrimmage and more apt to help in run defense, while cross-training for veteran Coby Bryant’s free safety spot."

Can Thieneman outproduce Brisker?

There is most definitely a world in which Thieneman provides an immediate upgrade over Brisker, especially with the bar to do so not being that high.

While we analyzed the risks of Dennis Allen's versatility plan for the rookie, comparing him to the last great Bears safety prospect is revealing.

In 2025, Brisker was strong against the run, but he struggled in coverage to the tune of a 50.9 coverage grade. Meanwhile, the Oregon product showed he is elite in coverage by posting the seventh-best coverage grade among safeties last season.

Thieneman has also shown he has a nose for the football, with the former Purdue and Oregon safety tallying eight interceptions and 14 passes defensed over three years. Brisker never tallied more than one pick in a season and had 21 passes defensed over his four years in Chicago.

In run defense, Thieneman should at least be as good as Brisker, but the difference is Thieneman's elite sideline-to-sideline speed, so he's going to be in on tackles more often than his predecessor. That same speed is also going to make Thieneman a productive menace in the pass-rush when asked to blitz.

Another opportunity for increased production is Thieneman's versatility. As Finley noted, he could end up playing all over the lineup, which will give him more coverage responsibilities and chances to record picks and passes defensed.

If you haven't been able to figure it out by now, we're very high on Thieneman and what he can bring to the table in Year 1.

And, while we believe he can outproduce Brisker and improve the Bears' defense, expectations still need to be tempered with every rookie, especially early in their careers.

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