A Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Purdue who transferred to Oregon and kept picking off passes before the Bears took him in round one.
Dillon Thieneman built his name as a ball-hawking freshman phenom at Purdue, then raised his profile further with a transfer to Oregon for his final college season. Chicago made him a first-round pick in the 2026 draft, betting on a rangy, physical safety who has never stopped producing turnovers.
Path to the league
Thieneman started at safety immediately as a true freshman at Purdue in 2023, then transferred to Oregon for the 2025 season after two years with the Boilermakers. The Chicago Bears selected him with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft and signed him to a four-year contract.
Career highlights
As a Purdue freshman in 2023, Thieneman intercepted six passes and made 74 solo tackles, earning the Big Ten's Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year award and third-team All-American honors. He finished his three-year college career with 306 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and eight interceptions across stints at Purdue and Oregon, and closed out 2025 with first-team All-American recognition.
2025 season recap
In his lone season at Oregon, Thieneman appeared in 15 games and racked up 96 combined tackles, two interceptions and five pass deflections while lining up all over the Ducks' secondary, from deep safety to the slot. That production, paired with elite timed speed, made him one of the top-rated safety prospects in the 2026 draft class.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Dillon Thieneman
- Detroit Lions: 2026 NFL Draft Meet the Prospect - Dillon Thieneman
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- Oregon
- Hometown
- Westfield, IN, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
