NFL Insider Claims Vikings’ Most Popular Draft Theory Is Real
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images For all of March and some of April, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman catapulted himself into the Minnesota Vikings’ draft frontrunner, even if no steam from the team confirmed it. Now, thanks to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, a few anonymous executives claim the connection is real. Minnesota’s favorite mock-draft idea just got louder.
The Vikings have three days to decide their Round 1 path in the draft, and the Thieneman smoke might just be the real deal. The Oregon Safety Keeps Landing on Minnesota’s Radar Is Thieneman your best-case scenario for the Vikings i n the draft ? Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman assists linebacker Bryce Boettcher through warmups during Oregon Pro Day, offering hands-on prep work for scouts and evaluators March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon, as prospects run drills and fine-tune movements ahead of the next stage in the pre-draft process.
Mandatory Credit: Ben Lonergan-Imagn Images. La Canfora: Thieneman to MIN Isn’t Bluster Speaking on behalf of unnamed executives, La Canfora relayed one’s thought on Thieneman to the Vikings: “I buy it. Sometimes it just is what it is.
” Another told La Canfora: “I wouldn’t just assume Downs is going to be the best safety in this class. The kid from Oregon is special, too, and so is Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren . But for Flores, Thieneman is going to be hard to pass on.
” La Canfora personally added, “When it comes to the Vikings and Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman, SportsBoom’s sources suspect that one of the most popular mock draft selections will turn out to be spot on. ” “Of course, one of the 17 selections before Minnesota gets on the clock could have something to say about what the Vikings do, but throughout the scouting community this player is being linked to this team, and it’s been difficult to find many dissenting voices. ” Replacing Harrison Smith Four years ago — yes, it’s been that long — former Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted Lewis Cine from Georgia, a safety at the end of Round 1, who would eventually take over for Smith, according to the plan.
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