The NFL Combine is in full swing this week, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are on the hunt for impact players for new head coach Mike McCarthy. With massive needs at wide receiver, quarterback, and cornerback, just about every predictive mock draft out there has the Steelers adding one of those positions with their first-round pick at No. 21.
That is far from set in stone, however.
The defensive backs took the field for testing and drills Friday night, and while the corners looked quite good in their own right, it was the safeties that stole the show. Among the many impressive performances, none was quite as good as projected first-round pick Dillon Thieneman.
It was so good, in fact, that he may have just vaulted himself into consideration for the Steelers at pick 21.
Dillon Thieneman ran his way into consideration for the Pittsburgh Steelers' first-round pick
Safety isn't necessarily a need for the Steelers. Or, at least, it doesn't have to be. With general manager Omar Khan all but confirming that Jalen Ramsey isn't going anywhere despite his massive cap hit, he and DeShon Elliott could be the safety duo next year. Elliott is coming off a knee injury, but assuming he is healthy in 2026, Pittsburgh could easily skip out on the position during the first two days of the draft.
However, what if new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham prefers Ramsey to move back into the slot? He didn't play very well at that spot in 2025, but the defense as a whole was a mess to start the season.
If that turns out to be the case, Thieneman could have a real chance to be the Steelers' pick at 21, if he even makes it that far after his day in Indianapolis. The Oregon Duck safety ran a blazing 4.35 40-yard dash, jumped 41" inches in the vertical, and hit 10'5" in the broad jump at 6'0" and 201 pounds.
Dillon Thieneman is a SS prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.67 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 42 out of 1242 SS from 1987 to 2026.
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) February 27, 2026
Pending agilities and bench, splits projected.https://t.co/du153sXWtL pic.twitter.com/clnA4f3YME
His testing numbers are obviously elite, but it's his film during his days at Purdue and Oregon that put him in position to be the second safety off the board after Ohio State's Caleb Downs. He displayed elite center field ability early in his career with the Boilermakers, notching six interceptions during his freshman season.
He played closer to the line of scrimmage during his lone season in Eugene, showing the versatility to play multiple roles in the secondary. The Steelers could use an injection of speed and youth in their secondary, whether it's at pick 21 or with one of their other 11 picks in the 2026 draft. Thieneman fits that mold to a tee.