It’s never too early to start talking about the 2026 NFL Draft, and analysts are already doing their due diligence surrounding some of the top prospects in the class.
While names like Cade Klubnik, Caleb Downs, and Peter Woods have already gained traction as first-round locks, one ESPN analyst is doing a deeper dive into the draft and is already looking for some first-round sleepers. Among those is an unexpected transfer safety scouts are already eyeing to be one of the best defensive backs in the class.
Oregon DB Dillon Thieneman Generating First-Round Buzz for 2026 NFL Draft
Matt Miller, an ESPN draft analyst, published an article titled “2026 NFL Draft Sleepers: Scouts pick under-the-radar players.” In it, he generated a list of 10 prospects that he believes are flying under the radar in the media right now.
We asked NFL evaluators to pick out prospects in next year’s draft class who aren’t being talked about enough right now. Here are 10 names to know.https://t.co/MBUFnznvoO
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) June 13, 2025
Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson and Indiana quarterback Fernado Mendoza were some of the names on the list, but one of the most intriguing prospects was new Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman.
Thieneman transferred to Oregon from Purdue this offseason and was rated as 247Sports’ 11th-best player in the entire transfer portal. One scout Miller talked to explained that despite the NFL not valuing the safety position very highly, Thienamn is equipped to be a first-round guy.
“When you look at football IQ, versatility, speed, and range, he has it all. Safeties always seem to fall in the draft, but he has first-round tools,” an AFC West scout told Miller.
Thieneman has had an up-and-down college career thus far, but it’s not necessarily his fault. The Indiana native was a three-star prospect and committed to Purdue in 2023.
In his freshman season with the Boilermakers, Thieneman was elite. He racked up five interceptions, made Second-Team All-Big Ten honors, and won numerous other awards.
However, due to the lack of overall depth in Purdue’s secondary last season, Thieneman was asked to play corner much more often, rather than his true position of safety, leading him to see a drop-off in elite play during his sophomore season.
However, now that he is with Oregon, Thieneman will line up almost exclusively at free safety, which should allow him to thrive once again and produce more consistent film for the NFL to watch.
Even with a small drop-off in production and play last year, it’s clear that the NFL already considers Thieneman one of the top safeties in college football next season.
If he can meet expectations, there’s no doubt that he could be selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
