is never too early to begin watching prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may not be around to make the picks, but that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss the players themselves. The general manager discussion may be had later, but for now, we are going to focus on any potential Vikings draft fits or players in the draft as a whole.

We are going to be covering every position in the draft, but not all of them will necessarily be the Vikings‘ needs. But of course, anything is possible for a team, and if not, they will be drafted by a division rival that the Vikings see twice a year.

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For this report, we will be discussing a safety. The team has a dynamic duo in Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus, but Smith may have played in the final game of his career based on the send-off he received after Week 18. Because of that, we want to make sure we cover enough safeties to see some who may be future Vikings in 2026 and beyond.

With that in mind, here is our report on Oklahoma’s Robert Spears-Jennings.

Information

School: Oregon

Conference: Big Ten

Height/Weight: 6-0, 205 lbs.

Age when Drafted: 21

Previous Schools: Purdue

Background

Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023

Second Team All-Big Ten in 2023

First Team All-Big Ten in 2025

Third Team All-American in 2023

First Team All-American in 2025

Notable Stats

Tackles: 306

Tackles for a Loss: 12

Interceptions: 8

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Pass Breakups: 14

Notable PFF Numbers from 2025

PFF Run Defense Grade: 90.2

PFF Coverage Grade: 83.5

Completion Percentage Allowed: 41.7

NFL QBR when Targeted: 66.7

Penalties Called For: 1

Skills

Good open field tackling ability

Fluid hips and quick feet to change direction

Proven leader on an Oregon team stacked with them

Summary

Dillon Thieneman had a top ten grade from me in the Summer, and while he isn’t quite there anymore, I still am very bullish on his potential. He is a day one starter, someone who deserves to go in the top ten of the second round, and it is all justified. His instincts let him be in position to make a play time and again. His leadership on a talented Oregon team stands out, and it makes you realize his impacts every one of the other ten defenders on the field. He is going to be a great player from day one, and 31 other teams are going to kick themselves over passing on him.

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This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon