After an explosive combine workout, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman is emerging as a strong candidate for the Vikings at pick No. 18.
The Minnesota Vikings are expected to address their defensive backfield in April’s draft. That made Friday’s defensive back workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine particularly relevant for Minnesota.
Among the top targets for the team is Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. He has been slowly gaining traction as a possibility for Minnesota at pick 18 in recent weeks. On Friday, Thieneman may have cemented his first-round status with a phenomenal workout.
Thieneman confirmed earlier this week that he spoke with the Vikings at the combine. That reflects the team's interest, which matches the potential scheme fit many draft experts have speculated about in recent weeks.
He measured in at 6'0", 201 pounds this week, which translated to an “okay” composite size score in the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) database.
His athleticism, however, stood out. He ran a 4.35 forty-yard dash, the third-fastest time among safeties. His 1.52 10-yard split, the first ten yards of the forty, was tied for the fourth-fastest time among safeties.
Thieneman also showed off his explosiveness, generating a 41" vertical, the second-highest in the safety group. His 10'5" broad jump was tied as the seventh-best among safeties.
RAS combines that data and compares it to players' data since 1987, giving us an idea of how a player's athletic profile stacks up against his peers.
Thieneman has one of the best profiles among safeties in the RAS database. His unofficial 9.67 RAS ranks 42nd among 1,242 strong safeties since 1987.
His explosive and speed grades were considered "elite", far outweighing his size measurements.
Currently, Thieneman is the 36th-ranked prospect on the Consensus Big Board. But it's going to be difficult for teams to continue overlooking him.
According to Next Gen Stats, he had an athleticism score of 86, the highest among all safeties in this class. His production score of 77 ranks seventh among this year's safeties.
Thieneman is highly-regarded on PFF, too. He is now their 15th-ranked prospect. He was PFF's highest-graded safety in college football last year, generating a 91.0 grade. In 2023, he was PFF's ninth-best safety, showing consistency throughout his career.
PFF mock drafts have also frequently linked him to Minnesota. Thieneman has been drafted by the Vikings in 28% of PFF mock drafts. The Steelers (12%) and Bears (10%) have been the next-most common drafters of the Oregon safety.
There was growing speculation in recent weeks that Thieneman could be a target when Minnesota is on the clock at pick 18. Harrison Smith may be retiring, and Josh Metellus played out of position last year. Theo Jackson never appeared to cement his status as a starter on the defense.
That could make Thieneman an ideal candidate at pick 18. After Friday’s workout, he has become one of the most compelling options for Minnesota as the draft approaches.