Vikings Interested in 1 Draft Prospect, ESPN Confirms
It doesn’t particularly matter where you look; pretty much every mock draft has safety Dillon Thieneman joining the Minnesota Vikings in two weeks. The defender from Oregon put on a show at the Scouting Combine and it helped him shoot up the boards. Though many other players make sense, too, with Minnesota’s safety need, he’s an obvious fit.
ESPN’s draft analyst Matt Miller wrote this week that he has heard about the Vikings’ interest in the defender beyond the media mock draft chatter.
“What we’re hearing about the Vikings’ draft: Safety Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) is the most mocked player to Minnesota, and for good reason. Word is the front office views him as a seamless replacement for veteran Harrison Smith.”
Harrison Smith has been a fixture on the purple defense for over a decade. He was drafted in the first round in 2012 and has manned the secondary ever since. The players next to him have changed over the years.
In 2025, he was flanked by versatile defender Joshua Metellus and inexperienced former depth players Jay Ward and Theo Jackson. Depending on Smith’s retirement status, all three could play massive roles under Brian Flores. Whether Jackson and Ward are ready for that promotion remains unclear.
That’s where prospect Thieneman enters the picture. Outside of Caleb Downs (Ohio State), Oregon’s defensive back is generally regarded as the top safety in the class.
Still only 21 years old for another four months, Thieneman played a couple of seasons at Purdue before joining Oregon last offseason. Throughout his career, he registered 306 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 8 interceptions.
At the combine, he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash. He is on the smaller side for a safety, but his athleticism is off the charts.
Thieneman played more as a deep safety at Purdue and was deployed in the box at Oregon. That versatility certainly puts him on Flores’ radar, who likes to hide his intention pre-snap. Having flexible defenders is key for Minnesota’s fourth-year defensive coordinator.
He’s also a smart player. Consider Miller’s comments about Thieneman being a seamless replacement for Smith. The retirement candidate has been Flores’ quarterback on defense, calling checks and audibles right before the snap. He has also improvised for a decade. On occasion, he’s abandoning his assignment and he’s mostly right about these things because of his football smarts and experience.
Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about Thieneman: “Savvy three-year starter with NFL size, speed and alignment versatility. Thieneman is an extension of his defensive coordinator, aligning and adjusting the secondary to motion and pre-snap shifts.”
Suddenly, the comparison makes sense. It’s noteworthy that Thieneman won’t be able to step into Smith’s quarterback-like role for years. Down the line, who knows?
Zierlein added, “He’s an instinctive, rangy safety who can roll down into big nickel or robber positioning. He has a good feel for play design and route concepts in zone but has average change of direction to match breaks in man. He’s not a big thumper near the line, but he rushes into the action with a relentless pursuit that should allow him to keep stacking high scores in the tackle columns. Thieneman checks important boxes for teams looking to add versatile playmakers in the secondary.”
Mock draft darling Thieneman is the hottest name in Vikings circles in this year’s draft cycle. The front office has to decide whether safety is worth the 18th overall pick, given many other needs on the roster.
With the draft day coming closer, Thieneman remains a name to watch.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.