Carolina Panthers predicted to pick major safety upgrade in 2026 NFL draft

The Carolina Panthers had a hell of an offseason going for them. In the early portion of free agency, they made several sharp signings to address their immediate roster needs and followed it up with a shockingly strong NFL draft class that's already paying major dividends.

Then, for whatever reason, they stopped. Even though the Panthers still had major issues at multiple defensive positions - they simply quit adding new pieces after the draft.

In fact, they started taking steps backward, beginning with the inexplicable release of Jadeveon Clowney and culminating with the regrettable Adam Thielen trade just before the season began.

In between, the Panthers were reportedly interested in several quality free agents at safety, including Justin Simmons and Julian Blackmon. Any of them would have been a massive upgrade over Nick Scott, but in the end, they didn't sign one. So, they rolled into the regular season with Scott starting opposite Tre'von Moehrig, with predictably poor results.

B/R links Panthers, Dillon Thieneman

With the trade deadline now past, the next chance to upgrade this position will be in free agency - but the draft offers better options. In a new 2026 mock draft from Bleacher Report, the Panthers use the 16th overall pick on Oregon's Dillon Thieneman.

"Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is a versatile playmaking safety prospect with excellent range and football IQ. He's got the size (6'0", 205 lbs) to play big nickel, while maintaining his instincts as a free safety to close on throws deep down the field. No matter what the Panthers decide to do with their safeties, Thieneman can handle any role and make everyone's job easier."

Thieneman played the first two years of his college career at Purdue, where he made a splash debut in 2023 with six interceptions and 106 combined tackles. He added another 104 the following season before transferring to Oregon.

Here are the highlights from his time at Purdue.

Dillon Thieneman highlights

Thieneman's coverage is his big selling point. Pro Football Focus has him graded out at 85.7 in coverage so far this season, to go with and 86.7 in pass rushing. His run defense is just at 61.7, bringing his overall grade down to 80.1.

That dynamic is just what the Panthers' backfield needs, though. In Moehrig and Lathan Ransom they have two heavy hitters who are strong against the run but are not ball hawks known for their coverage or ability to play free safety.

Thieneman also has the ability to line up at multiple spots, a quality that Ejiro Evero's defense needs more of. This year Thieneman has put in 155 snaps at free safety, 149 in the box, 54 in the slot, plus a handful at the line of scrimmage.

Using a first-round pick on a safety is a bit iffy, but the Panthers are not going to be in range to land a blue-chip pass rusher or receiver, so they might as well go with the best overall defensive player on their board - and that could very well end up being Thieneman.

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