The Pittsburgh Steelers have already added one safety in free agency this offseason in Jaquan Brisker, and the plan is to add another in veteran Darnell Savage.
Yet, the position remains one of need as DeShon Elliott returns from injury and Jalen Ramsey is more of a corner/safety hybrid right now. The 2026 NFL Draft offers a path to add a high-end talent at the safety position, particularly in the first round. That’s exactly what The Athletic’s Vic Tafur did in his latest mock draft.
At No. 21 overall, Tafur paired the Steelers with “coveted” Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, a popular name in recent weeks for the Black and Gold.
“Before he showed off his great speed at the combine, Thieneman was already coveted by teams as he can line up at different spots, can cover and tackle,” Tafur writes of the selection.
Safety might not be as big of a need as offensive line, wide receiver or quarterback for the Steelers right now, but landing a piece like Thieneman could send the Steelers’ defense under first-year coordinator Patrick Graham to new heights.
In Tafur’s mock, he has four receivers off the board before No. 21 overall with Ohio State’s Carnell Tate at No. 10 to the Los Angeles Rams in a trade, USC’s Makai Lemon at No. 14 to Baltimore, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson at No. 15 to Tampa Bay and Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. at No. 16 to the New York Jets.
Once the Steelers were on the board in Tafur’s mock, names like Penn State guard Vega Ioane, Alabama QB Ty Simpson and Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren were available, not to mention Clemson CB Aveion Terrell, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion.
I would have preferred Ioane in this scenario to shore up the trenches, but Thieneman would give the Steelers great versatility and playmaking in the secondary.
In our scouting report, Tom Mead compared Thieneman to Justin Reid and raved about his football IQ and versatility.
“Overall, Thieneman is player with good height, good weight, and good athleticism. His football IQ and motor are very good. He has the versatility to play deep, as the robber, in the box, or in the slot. His is very good in zone coverage with the potential to match up with tight ends. Against the run, Thieneman is a willing defender, gets downfield quickly and will stick his face in the fan. He flows to the ball on every play looking to get in the mix.
“Areas to improve include matching up in man coverages, adding play strength, and lowering his tackling angle to prevent taking on the bigger hits. Positioning himself to limit a runner cutting back would help also when tackling.”
Thieneman took a step up in competition last season, transferring from Purdue to Oregon. He took his game to another level, too, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors and all-American honors in his lone season with the Ducks.
Then at the NFL Combine, Thieneman had a great performance, clocking a 4.35 40-yard dash, a 10’5″ broad jump and a 41-inch vertical. He’s an elite athlete, and that shows up on the field, too.
The Steelers held a formal meeting with him at the Combine, so the interest is there. We’ll see if he comes in for a pre-draft visit, too. If he does, he could be in play at No. 21.
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