LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — There were a number of directions the Chicago Bears could have gone in the first round of the NFL draft. They opted to give their secondary a boost.
Chicago took a safety in the first round for the first time in 36 years when they selected Oregon's Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 pick on Thursday night.
“He’s a violent football player,” general manager Ryan Poles said. “He strikes. There’s a knock-back element to his tackling.”
The Bears hadn't drafted a safety in the first round since 1990, when they took Marc Carrier with the No. 6 pick out of USC. Thieneman is the first defensive player taken in the first round by Chicago since linebacker Roquan Smith in 2018. He joins a team trying to build on a breakthrough year, after winning the NFC North in coach Ben Johnson's first season.
Chicago also has two second-rounders, a third-rounder, a fourth-rounder and two seventh-rounders.
The Bears lost their top four safeties, including three-time All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. They signed Coby Bryant, who helped Seattle win its second Super Bowl, to a three-year, $40 million contract, but still had an opening at that position.
Thieneman grew up near Indianapolis in Westfield, Indiana, and starred at Purdue for two years before transferring to Oregon last season. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and helped the Ducks go 13-2 while advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He finished with 95 tackles and two interceptions, including the clinching pick in a double-overtime win at Penn State in late September.
The 6-foot, 201-pound Thieneman is known for his speed, versatility and ability to recognize what the other team is trying to do. He ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine and can play both safety spots as well as nickelback.
“I feel like speed is very interesting because there’s normal speed and then there’s gameplan speed,” Thieneman said. "So the more you can process and recognize, the faster you can play in-game closer to your speed.”
Thieneman kept two notebooks — one for scouting the opponent and the other containing everything he needed to know.
“So I’d write everything in one notebook, and then I’d kind of compile it and what I needed to study and what I needed to know in another so I could study that before the game,” he said.
Poles said Thieneman's character is “off the charts.”
“We have so many good sources in terms of guys he’s played with — that’s all the way from Westfield High School all the way to Oregon," he said. "The feedback we got was incredible. ... He’s a very similar type person, player, combination to what (tight end) Colston (Loveland) was. The work ethic, that passion for ball was off the charts. We grade on a scale of one to nine. There’s no fives and there’s no twos. There’s no fence grades. There’s a lot of sevens and eights when you look across this guy’s character. Really happy with the type of person we’re bringing in.”
The Bears went 11-6 and captured the division championship for the first time since 2018 last season. Quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in 2024, made big strides in his first year in Johnson's offense. Chicago advanced in the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season, beating the rival Green Bay Packers in a wild-card game before losing an overtime thriller to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
The Bears still have needs at left tackle and in the pass rush. They could be addressed the next two days.
“Lotta good options,” Poles said. “I’ll say this, this was probably the most aggressive they were in terms of the guys that we really like. They have to play our style. They’ve gotta have the right makeup. In terms of our scheme fits, all of that had to be there. If it wasn’t there, you’re off the board.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman poses with a jersey after being chosen by the Chicago Bears with the 25th overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman puts on a hat after being chosen by the Chicago Bears with the 25th overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Peyton Gray had visualized the moment so many times that he didn't feel nervous when finally making his big league debut — at age 30 after eight years through the minor leagues, independent ball and four winters outside the United States
Gray worked a perfect inning in his debut for the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, getting a groundout on his first pitch in the majors and ending the 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates with a strikeout of Konnor Griffin, the highly touted shortstop playing the day before his 20th birthday.
“That makes me feel pretty old,” Grey said with a smile. “Getting my first career strikeout on him is pretty cool.”
The Rangers promoted Gray from Triple-A Round Rock earlier Thursday when placing left-handed reliever Robert Garcia on the 15-day injured list because of left shoulder inflammation after he hadn't pitched in a week. Gray was the fourth reliever they used after two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom recorded his 62nd career 10-strikeout game, getting those in 5 2/3 innings.
“It was awesome, and I was getting chills,” Rangers manager Skip Shumaker said. “The journey that he had to get to this spot, you could probably write a book about it.”
Gray found out about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, after Round Rock was rained out for the second day in a row in Sugar Land, Texas, that he was going to join the Rangers. He then called his parents in Columbus, Indiana, and they made the more than 900-mile drive to be at their son's big-league debut.
Each time the phone rang in the Rangers bullpen Thursday night, Gray got antsy thinking it could be his moment.
“When it was finally my turn, it was awesome. I wasn’t nervous I was more excited, prepared,” said Gray, who was asked later why he didn't feel nervous. “I think I visualized this moment so many times throughout my life. ... I feel like I’ve been a big leaguer already. I just haven’t been able to be on this stage yet.”
After needing only one pitch to get his first out, Gray got a flyout before facing Griffin, the teenager who two weeks ago agreed to nine-year, $140 million contract with the Pirates. The swing-and-miss for strike three was on an 83.4 mph changeup that catcher Danny Jansen blocked and then threw to first base to end the game.
“This game is amazing. I love this game so much because of stories like that,” Schumaker said. “You’re seeing a kid that just came out of high school not too long ago, and then another guy that has spent (time) trying to get his moment. ... For him to get a strikeout against a future All-Star over there. That’s what the beautiful part of this game is, you don’t see that in every sport. That just doesn’t happen. So yeah, pretty cool moment.”
After being in the Rangers’ minor league system last season, Gray impressed them in spring training this year as a non-roster invite. He had 2.53 ERA in nine appearances with 18 strikeouts and one walk over 10 2/3 innings.
The pitcher who will turn 31 on June 2 began this season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he threw 12 2/3 scoreless innings over seven games, going 1-0 with two saves, 15 strikeouts and two walks.
“Being the 30-year-old non-roster invite that doesn’t have any big league time, I don’t think they expected me to put up as many zeroes and throw as many strikes as I did,” Gray said in the Rangers clubhouse before his MLB debut. ”So I think I surprised them. I might have surprised myself a little bit too.”
After pitching at Florida Gulf Coast University, Gray’s professional debut was a short season with the Colorado Rockies’ affiliate in the Northwest League in 2018, and he stayed in their organization in 2019.
He spent 2021 in the Kansas City Royals’ organization, that between three different seasons for the Milwaukee Milkmen in the independent American Association. He pitched in the Dominican last winter, after the previous three winters in the Mexican Pacific League.
“That’s awesome. 30 years old, that it’s a long time and been through a lot,” deGrom said of Gray. “So for him to get up here and get to the major leagues is just a testament to how hard he has worked throughout the minor leagues and stuff. So very happy for him.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Peyton Gray throws his first pitch in his major league debut to Pittsburgh Pirates' Nick Gonzales in the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Peyton Gray, left, celebrates with catcher Danny Jansen, right, after the team's win in a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Peyton Gray throws to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Texas Rangers pitcher Robert Garcia throws to an Athletics batter during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, April 16, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
