One Rising Combine Star Makes Sense for Bengals in First Round of 2026 NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals have the No. 10 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and will most likely address their defense. Former Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman turned heads with his outstanding NFL Combine performance that left many scrambling to fix their mock drafts to put him higher. Thieneman, who many predicted to be a first round pick, could go in the top-15 after an combine that went viral on social media.

Thieneman Posted Impressive Numbers at NFL Combine

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon defensive back Dillion Thieneman (DB52) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Thieneman recorded the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time among safeties with a 4.35-second effort. His vertical jump was 41 inches, and his broad jump was an astounding 10 feet, 5 inches.

He finished with a 9.67 relative athletic score, which means he tested in the 97th percentile among safeties dating back to the 1987 NFL Draft. He ranks 42nd out of 1,242 that have been ranked at Ras.Football.

Thieneman played at Purdue before transferring to Oregon for his final season, and slotted in as a day-one starter for the Ducks when he transferred.

Thieneman Thrived in Clutch Moments for the Oregon Ducks

Oregon Ducks Dillon Thieneman Cincinnati Bengals Zac Taylor Paycor Stadium NFL Draft NFL Combine — Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) reacts after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

Thieneman’s finest moment at Oregon came against Penn State in Happy Valley during Penn State’s whiteout game. In front of more than 100,000 people, Thieneman hauled in the game winning interception for the Ducks. He ended his 2026 campaign with two interceptions, while tacking on 92 total tackles. The low interception number for Thieneman may be concerning for Bengals fans, but opposing quarterbacks often tried to keep the ball away from his side of the field.

The questions surrounding Thieneman for the Bengals is how much of a needle mover can he truly be. Thieneman would in all likelihood at least compete for a starting safety position with the Bengals and have a chance to start for them in week one. While the defensive line may pose more questions for the Bengals in 2026 than the secondary, it's worth noting that Cincinnati has spent two of their last three first round picks on defensive linemen. It's also an issue they plan on addressing in free agency.

Thieneman is regarded as the second-best safety available in the 2026 NFL Draft behind Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. It is a real possibility that Downs could be taken off the board before the Bengals pick at No. 10. If so, Thieneman could be a serious candidate to be the 10th overall selection.

Thieneman has Been Able to Avoid Major Injury in Last two Collegiate Seasons

Perhaps the most exciting prospect of drafting Thieneman is his injury record. Thieneman played the entire 2024 and 2025 collegiate seasons without any major injuries, and is only 21 years old. While a top-20 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft seemed oddly optimistic for Thieneman going into the NFL Combine, it has now become more realistic after his athletic testing confirmed what many die-hards already knew: he's a versatile chess piece that could help any defense in a variety of ways.

Don't look now, but Thieneman is a real candidate to be the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.