With three seasons of high-level play to his name in the Big Ten, Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman is one of the top players at his position in the 2026 NFL Draft. After two strong years at Purdue, he transferred to Oregon for his 2025 season and ended the year as a first-team All-American.
A starting safety as a freshman for Purdue in 2023, Thieneman won Big Ten Freshman of the Year after tallying 106 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles in 12 games. Heading into the Ducks’ CFP semifinal matchup against Indiana, he owns a career passer rating allowed of just 71.7.
These are five teams that make sense as the best landing spots for Oregon’s standout safety, ranked in order of how often he is selected by each team in PFSN’s NFL Mock Draft Simulator.
Chicago Bears
As of this writing, Thieneman’s ADP is 60.8, indicating he is typically selected as a late second-round pick. PFSN’s NFL Draft HQ also has him ranked as the No. 70 overall prospect. There is usually more variance in landing spots for prospects projected on Days 2 and 3 of the draft compared to consensus first-round targets.
The Chicago Bears have two talented safeties in Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker; the former earned a Pro Bowl selection after leading the NFL with seven interceptions this year. That said, both are slated to hit free agency. Byard turns 33 in August, and Brisker, though younger, is the inferior player and has a lengthy history of concussions. It seems unlikely the Bears will extend both, making a pro-ready draft pick like Thieneman a smart move.
Minnesota Vikings
Of the Minnesota Vikings’ three safeties qualified for PFSN’s Safety Impact Metric rankings, two finished with grades below a C- for the 2025 season. One of those players was Harrison Smith, who has been a fixture in the secondary since being drafted out of Notre Dame in 2012.
That said, Smith is only on a one-year deal and is on track to be a free agent this offseason. Even if he chooses not to retire and the Vikings re-sign him, he will be 37 in February and is hardly a long-term starting option. Thieneman is an intelligent defensive back with the versatility to cover deep, in the slot, and in the box. That versatility would allow him to get on the field early and often for Minnesota in 2026.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive woes over the past few years have been well documented. Part of what has held them back has been subpar safety play; neither of their two starters finished with top-45 grades by Safety Impact scoring, indicating they did not have a single average starting safety on the roster this year.
Even factoring in the poor play, one of those starters is an impending free agent in Geno Stone. It would be a surprise if the Bengals gave him another large contract. Thieneman has eight interceptions with an allowed passer rating of just 71.7 over his collegiate career, which, combined with his tackling prowess, would make him a major upgrade for Cincinnati’s secondary.
Washington Commanders
Entering the 2026 offseason, the Washington Commanders retain each of their top three safeties in terms of snap share this season: Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves, and Will Harris. They do not face the anticipated snap losses that other teams on this list do; they simply do not have a strong safety group.
Harris posted the 30th-best SAF Impact score in 2025, but neither Reaves nor Martin graded in the top 64. That suggests both are backup-caliber players, making an upgrade a necessity to fix the Commanders’ secondary. The complication is that Washington does not own its own second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, if Thieneman falls into Round 3, they should sprint to the podium to select him.
New England Patriots
Starting at safety for the New England Patriots as a fourth-round rookie, Craig Woodson far exceeded expectations early on. He had his share of struggles, but cracking the lineup as a Day 3 pick in Year 1 is an encouraging sign for his future. His running mate in the secondary, Jaylinn Hawkins, is an upcoming free agent.
The Patriots traded Kyle Dugger just before the trade deadline, signaling a push toward a youth movement in the secondary. As previously noted, Thieneman’s alignment versatility would make him a valuable addition to any defensive backfield. His physicality as a tackler and ball skills in coverage could help elevate New England’s defense as it looks to sustain the success it found in 2025.