NFL Draft Dominoes Falling For Oregon Ducks With Dillon Thieneman Decision

EUGENE - Oregon junior safety Dillon Thieneman declared for the NFL Draft on Wednesday after one season with the Ducks. Thieneman became the second Oregon player with remaining college eligibility to head to the NFL, joining tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

Thieneman transferred after spending his first two seasons with the Purdue Boilermakers. In his lone season in Eugene, he provided the Ducks with several game-changing moments. He’s considered a top 50 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, per ESPN.

The dominoes are falling for Oregon, as the Ducks wait on a NFL Draft decision from quarterback Dante Moore. The Ducks have received a major boost from players who have decided to return to Eugene for 2026 instead of declare for the draft.

What Makes Dillon Thieneman Different As NFL Prospect

oregon ducks dillon thieneman nfl dan lanning safety koi perich transfer portal dante moore peyton woodyard kenyon sadiq — Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman speaks with reporters during Oregon football’s Media Day on July 28, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Thieneman earned first-team All-Big Ten honors with the Ducks in 2025. He finished the season with 92 total tackles, a sack, five pass deflections and two interceptions. Thieneman recorded a walk-off interception on the road against Penn State and tallied an interception at Washington.

Since the safety’s arrival to Eugene, he added a veteran presence to the secondary group. Coach Dan Lanning praised Thieneman’s leadership once he joined the team.

“He’s infatuated with the extra work," Lanning said. "There's probably not a day that goes by that he’s not in the weight room, getting bonus work, doing extra rehab, getting extra film. His intelligence, all those things are really picking up, you know, establishing some standards for the DB group and how they're going to operate.”

While Thieneman made an immediate impact in Eugene, he already proved he was a top safety in the Big Ten during his two seasons with Purdue. Thieneman posted 210 tackles, eight pass deflections, a sack, two forced fumbles and six interceptions with the Boilermakers and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.

Oregon's NFL Draft Decisions

Thieneman joins tight end Kenyon Sadiq as Oregon juniors to declare for the draft. Thieneman is considered a top-three safety in the draft by Pro Football Focus and ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper.

The Ducks set a program record for NFL Draft picks in 2025 and had the potential to break the record again in 2026.

Instead, a majority of eligible returners decided to forgo the draft and stay in Eugene for another season. Defensive linemen A’Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander announced their returns, as well as tight end Jamari Johnson, offensive lineman Iapani Laloulu, linebacker Teitum Tuioti and defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei.

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Oregon’s Safety Position Post-Dillon Thieneman

Lanning secured a major transfer portal addition in former Minnesota Golden Gophers safety Koi Perich. Perich could fill a similar role to Thieneman at safety and will have two years of eligibility remaining. He recorded 128 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, a sack and six interceptions in two years with the Golden Gophers.

The program also returns key players to its safety room. Former five-star Trey McNutt redshirted his freshman season after suffering a broken leg, but he should provide an important role for the Ducks in the future. The team also adds a five-star freshman in Jett Washington.

Oregon is set to bring back a pair of safeties who played formidable roles in 2025 in Peyton Woodyard and Aaron Flowers. Woodyard tallied 22 tackles and a pick-six in 2025, while Flowers notched 69 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception.