At the 21st overall pick, there are lots of different directions the Pittsburgh Steelers can go. One that would make a lot of sense is to draft a defender, given the inconsistencies that unit had last season. On that side of the ball, the safety position is certainly one the Steelers might consider adding to. Analyst Gregg Rosenthal thinks Dillon Thieneman is one name the Steelers should consider.
“It was hard not to see him, as not just a first-round pick, but maybe a first half of the first-round pick. Like, there’s a potential that that happens. I started thinking about the teams that could use him. For the Vikings as a Harrison Smith replacement. It’d be high for the Bengals, but they’re absolutely looking for that type of player. The Steelers, for like a Minkah Fitzpatrick-type,” Rosenthal said Sunday on his NFL Daily podcast. “Everyone’s looking for one of these types of players. And I think he’s gonna get taken somewhere in the top-25 picks.”
Thieneman is an interesting prospect. At the very beginning of the draft cycle, his stock seemed to be that of a late-first, or early-second-round pick. However, that stock has really started to gain some steam, with him now being mocked near the middle of the first round.
His impressive performance at the combine in Indianapolis should only help that grow even further. Thieneman ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, vertical jumped 41 inches, and put up 18 reps on the bench press. NFL Next Gen Stats rated his athleticism score at 86, the highest of all safeties in the class.
The athleticism he showed was impressive, and he has a well-rounded skill set aside from that. He’s very instinctive in coverage, especially in zone, where a combination of anticipation and speed makes it hard to complete any passes near him. He can play everywhere on the field, flies downhill against the run, and has impressive ball skills.
However, there are some weaknesses despite his recent rise in draft stock. Some of which, like his poor angles in pursuit and a tendency to tackle high, were issues across the Steelers’ defense last year. Thieneman doesn’t have enough strength to shed blocks as consistently as you’d like, and struggles in man coverage against shifty receivers.
Whether safety is a position worth considering in the first round does depend on the plans with some other players on the roster. Jalen Ramsey moved to safety last year. But there’s a decent chance the Steelers want him back at cornerback in 2026. Pittsburgh will also get DeShon Elliott back, but there’s not a ton of depth behind him.
However it shakes out, it’s hard to argue against drafting any difference-making defender. And that’s certainly what Dillon Thieneman can become. Rosenthal thinks he’s worth considering as soon as the 21st overall pick.
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