Safety Dillon Thieneman is Undependable

Those are the last words an NFL team wants to hear about a safety, but that was my impression of Dillon Thieneman at Purdue in 2024. Thieneman has since transferred to Oregon.

Safeties are the last line of defense, and having an unreliable player at that position is the perfect recipe for losing.

The scary part about Thieneman is that he’s the classic workout warrior type who will crush it in pre-draft workouts. I mean, he looks the part. Thieneman has the raw size, speed, and the ability to hit that teams love, but there’s more to this puzzle.

This is the benefit of taking the time to marinate more in a prospect’s film.

I get to see the bigger picture.

I get more context.

It takes more time, but it’s worth it.

In Thieneman’s case, 11/12 games were available on film (all except vs. Oregon State).

College scouting is about identifying the traits, patterns, and tendencies of a prospect on film. It’s about then grading the prospect as they relate to the NFL game.

Inconsistency gets teams beat.

Thieneman’s “want” waivers. Some plays, he’s all out. Some plays, he’s just out and puts it on cruise control.

Case in point was the Michigan State game. In one play, he looked great. Literally, a couple of plays later, he looked bad.

Inconsistent tackler

On paper, Thieneman looks like a tackling machine. He logged 104 tackles in 2024 (70 solo), but that’s not how it looks on game film.

Thankfully for Thieneman, they don’t have a stat for missed tackles or the point in a play at which a player decides to get involved.

He’s too reluctant on run defense overall.

Thieneman often waited for ball carriers to get downfield before deciding to make his move.

Are there times he did attack the line of scrimmage?

Yes, and that’s what makes this a difficult evaluation.

People will point to a highlight when he did attack the line of scrimmage and the five tackles for loss he had in 2024 and say, “See! See! He did it!”

But that’s not the norm.

It’s the exception.

Thieneman is also toast if a ball carrier puts a move on him.

Lacks instincts

Thieneman has to see it to react to it in pass coverage and in run support. This is a glaring weakness.

He’s “best” in pass coverage when lining up at safety and covering inside the numbers, and when he’s matched up in man-to-man pass coverage (a defender is assigned to cover a particular offensive skill position player), closer to the line of scrimmage pre-snap, and can just run in a straight line and not think about it.

Even though he can run fast, he also wasn’t able to provide deep help outside the numbers in pass coverage a majority of the time (charted 11 times).

What’s the real problem with Thieneman?

I don’t think he loves the game.

He doesn’t play like it.

Thieneman doesn’t tend to attack the line of scrimmage on run plays.

Thieneman is soft by the goalline.

Some prospects can compensate for their weaknesses with all-out effort. It’s the opposite for Thieneman. His wavering effort just illuminates his. Thieneman was not a playmaker on his 2024 game film. At this point in the evaluation process, he can’t help an NFL team win.

#31 Dillon Thieneman 6-foot-0, 205 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Summer Grade: Fourth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of August 28, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Indiana State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, and Indiana (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Uninspiring damage control safety with good size and raw speed. Flashes on film. Strong athletic frame. Too tentative. Can end up out of position in pass coverage or run support because he takes a bad angle. Nasty habit of taking wrong steps in pursuit angles. Arrives after the fact in zone coverage. Tied up with blockers too often. Gets fooled by misdirection.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Consistent?

2. Providing deep help outside the numbers in pass coverage?

3. Missing tackles?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.