The Jacksonville Jaguars made a couple of moves at safety last offseason, but the position was still seen as a weakness because they didn't have a clear-cut starter next to free-agent acquisition Eric Murray. Fast forward to 2026, and the defensive backfield looks in much better shape.
Murray brougth stability at safety, while Antonio Johnson had a banner season. Couple that with the fact that 2025 third-round pick Caleb Ransaw is expected to be back after missing his rookie campaign with a leg injury, and the Jacksonville defensive backfield appears to be a strength. However, that didn't stop a draft analyst from suggesting the Jags keep adding reinforcements in this year's player selection meeting.
Dane Brugler has Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman going to the Jaguars in his latest NFL Mock Draft
Dane Brugler of The Athletic put together his first NFL Mock draft of the year and had Dillon Thieneman going to the Jaguars, arguing that his skillset would give their secondary a notable boost. Here's the skinny.
"The Jaguars will be addressing the secondary this offseason in multiple ways, and Thieneman could be an option because of his man-coverage skills and run-stopping ability," Brugler wrote.
On paper, this isn't a bad pick. Thieneman has all the traits you want in an NFL safety: He can backpedal and mirror receivers, possesses superb tracking skills and the speed to get downfield. If that wasn't enough, the Oregon product was ranked third at the position in Mel Kiper's Big Board.
Simply put, Thieneman would give the Jacksonville secondary a massive boost. Having said that, the Jaguars may have more pressing needs. Granted, veteran Andrew Wingard is scheduled to become a free agent, but as noted before, Caleb Ransaw will be back in the mix. Moreover, Rayuan Lane III also flashed as a rookie.
When you add it all up, there may no longer be room for Dewey in the Jags' safety room next season.
Related: 5 players who definitely won't return to Jacksonville in 2026
The Jaguars will probably pass on Dillion Thieneman
If you go the "best player available" route, drafting Dillon Thieneman in Round 2 would be huge, especially because he's projected to be a Day 1 selection. That said, cornerback and the pass rush are bigger needs for the Jaguars.
Maybe if the Jags had their first-round choice in 2027, Thieneman in the second round would make sense. However, they gave it up as part of the package to trade up for Travis Hunter last year. So without a pick on Day 1, Jacksonville will most likely prioritize other needs.
Of course, the Jags have shown an affinity to make deals to either move up or down under general manager James Gladstone, so trading up into the first round shouldn't be ruled out. But even if they do, don't expect to go after Thieneman or any other safety.
The bottom line is that Dillon Thieneman is a promising prospect, one who will surely help teams in need of help at safety. Having said that, the Jaguars are stacked at the position and have more glaring needs across the roster, so picking Thieneman seems unlikely.