Most would be able to guess why the two are compared, and Thieneman set the record straight.
The Oregon Ducks had an unreal football team last season, but their season ended just one win short of the ultimate goal: a National Championship. There were plenty of stellar players who contributed to that success, and many of them are in this upcoming draft.
One player the Oregon Ducks will miss heavily next season is safety Dillon Thieneman. Last season for the Ducks, Thieneman was 2nd on the team in both total tackles and interceptions, and his fantastic season led to him being named a 2nd-Team All-American.
Coming into the draft, he was widely considered to be one of the top safeties in the class, but after a near-perfect performance at the combine, he firmly positioned himself right behind Ohio State's Caleb Downs. Thieneman is projected to be a top-20 to top-15 pick in the draft now.
Between his talent, his athletic ability, and frankly, his skin tone, Thieneman has been getting compared an awful lot to Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean. When speaking with Kay Adams, Thieneman addressed that honestly.
Thieneman Addresses the Cooper DeJean Comparisons
Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman, right, brings down Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. © Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesDuring an appearance on Up and Adams with Kay Adams, she sarcastically asked Thieneman, "Why do you think people have comped the two of you together?" To which Thieneman replied, "I mean - we could probably figure out why," before chuckling a bit.
To be fair, outside of what Thieneman refers to as "the obvious" trait the two defensive backs share, it is a fair comparison.
Thieneman had slightly better combine numbers in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, and bench press reps, but both players are 6'2, and both played at Big Ten schools, with DeJean attending Iowa.
DeJean currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, and with Reed Blankenship possibly departing in free agency, it's a strong possibility that the Eagles could unite the two by selecting Thieneman with the no.23 overall pick.
While stating it's obviously not up to him where he's drafted, Thieneman did say that if selected by the Philadelphia Eagles, he would gladly pick up the role of being their next 'Exciting White'. Regardless of who takes him, the fan base will certainly be excited.
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