Dillon Thieneman
Getty
Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
The Dallas Cowboys might be able to change their defense for the next decade in just a few hours next month.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid released a 2-round mock draft on Tuesday morning that sees the Cowboys swap their No. 12 overall pick to the New York Jets in exchange for the No. 16 overall pick, a 2026 4th round pick, and 2026 7th round pick.
Reid has the Cowboys take Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 16 overall after he ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and registered a 41-inch vertical leap at the NFL scouting combine.
“I have the Cowboys trading pack in this situation because they’re 1 of 2 teams in 1st round with 2 picks so they have a lot of flexibility in this spot,” Reid said on SportsCenter Tuesday morning. “The Cowboys have to figure out their secondary … drafting Thieneman as well as Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell at No. 20 overall would do that.”
Thieneman only played 3 seasons of college football — 2 at Purdue before transferring to NIL-rich Oregon for his final season in 2025.
“The Cowboys gave up the most points per game in the NFL last season (30.1) and the third-most yards per contest (377.0),” Reid wrote in his mock draft. “They started to remake their secondary last season, and adding Thieneman, an active defender with positional and scheme versatility, would continue that process. Dallas specializes in two-high safety looks, and Thieneman is an excellent processor who can close on plays in a hurry. Dallas forced only 12 turnovers in 2025, and Thieneman has the ability to be a ball hawk while bringing physicality when stepping down against the run.”