NFL
NFL Execs Back Oregon Safety Dillon Thieneman as Vikings Target
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2026 NFL Scouting Combine by Stacy Revere | Getty Images
Sometimes, a week before the draft, groupthink has reached ridiculous levels and mock drafts parrot one another and perception becomes reality.
And sometimes a particular prospect is being heavily linked to a particular team because it’s just the right fit at the right spot.
When it comes to the Vikings and Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, SportsBoom's sources suspect that one of the most popular mock draft selections will turn out to be spot on.
Of course, one of the 17 selections before Minnesota gets on the clock could have something to say about what the Vikings do, but throughout the scouting community this player is being linked to this team, and it’s been difficult to find many dissenting voices.
“I buy it,” one longtime NFL personnel executive told SportsBoom.us. “Sometimes it just is what it is.”
What’s The Appeal?
The Vikings are led by their defense, especially given the current state of their quarterback situation, with defensive coordinator Brian Flores’s unique, blitz-heavy scheme not for everyone.
That ain’t changing, but for the first time in a very long time, Minnesota does not have sage safety Harrison Smith anchoring the unit and serving as a critical element.
And no player in this draft is better positioned in this draft to step into that key role than Thieneman… who is also expected to be available then with most assuming that Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is the first player selected at that position group.
“I wouldn’t just assume Downs is going to be the best safety in this class,” one GM said.
“The kid from Oregon is special, too, and so is Toledo (Emmanuel McNeil-Warren)… But for Flores, Thieneman is going to be hard to pass on.”
Thieneman’s combination of length and size and athleticism make him a prized prospect, and hybrid safety chess pieces have become all the rage in the NFL in recent years (Mike Macdonald winning a Super Bowl right away in Seattle will only further push the trend).
The ability to shift from the box to the deep quadrants of the field is essential in this defense, and Minnesota likely views a selection like this as getting multiple players with one pick.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.