2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman

Dillon Thieneman made the leap from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, leaving the Purdue Boilermakers to help bolster a transitioning Oregon Ducks squad. Thieneman was a hot commodity in the offseason, attracting transfer attention from many before deciding to take his services to Oregon. 

A native of Indiana, Thieneman brings plenty to the Ducks’ defensive backfield. Perhaps Purdue’s best defender, the rising prospect is a mix of athleticism, high football IQ, and plays beyond his years. He played in West Lafayette as a true freshman, producing like a veteran player. He racked up over 100 tackles, made six interceptions, and forced two fumbles during his rookie campaign. For his efforts, he was awarded the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award and set Purdue records for solo tackles in a year and interceptions. 

Strengths 

Thieneman is the second-best 2026 safety prospect, only behind Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. He can play in multiple packages and schemes, and with his instinct and high football IQ, he can quickly learn the NFL game. He’s got great technique, is equally good against the run and pass, and will shock at the NFL Combine with his speed and quickness. 

Thieneman has the size (6’0” and 205 lbs.) to play down in the box covering larger, outside receivers. He’s got the potential to be a team captain and defensive signal caller. 

Weaknesses

While Thieneman is a high-value prospect, he is not without flaws. He will need to work out the kinks in his mechanics to hide his intentions in the pro game, and he needs to learn to take better angles at the next level, as all NFL players will have elite speed. The good news is, Thieneman has the skill set to clean this up—and clean it up quickly.

Conclusion

Thieneman is an athletic, instinctive playmaker with NFL-ready talent. Scouts will want to see what he can do during the 2025 season now that he’s in a Ducks uniform. He will need to clean up some of his techniques and pursuit angles, but he’s ready to make the jump to the next level. Downs may be the only round-one safety in this class (top five likely), but Thieneman does have a chance to sneak into the back end of the first or be a top pick on day two.