Dillon Thieneman linked to Cowboys at No. 12 through Lupoi connection

With the combine and pro days in the books, NFL teams are doing their final visits, film reviews and phone calls before the 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23.

Mock drafts and rumors are swirling across the league, and some involve safety Dillon Thieneman, who is widely expected to come off the board at some point in the first round. Thieneman put together an impressive campaign with the Oregon Ducks after transferring from Purdue and solidified himself as one of the top safeties in the draft with an impressive showing at the NFL scouting combine.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah turned up the heat on Thieneman's draft projections during a recent appearance on "The Joel Klatt Show," in which he named the Dallas Cowboys as a possible yet unsuspecting landing spot for the Oregon star. For Jeremiah, it all comes down to one coaching connection for former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi.

"The Cowboys have a glaring need in the secondary and at the safety position," Jeremiah said. "Tosh Lupoi – who we just established loves Thieneman – he was at Alabama from 2014 all the way to 2018. He was a co-defensive coordinator in 2017. You know who was coaching in that secondary? It was Derrick Ansley. You know who coaches DBs for the Dallas Cowboys right now? Derrick Ansley. That's why I've been saying I think Thieneman could be the 12th pick in the draft."

The NFL can sometimes be all about who knows who, and that extends to the draft. Although Ansley might not have the ultimate sway in his first year as a position coach in Dallas, Thieneman is a top talent in the draft that he could convince the Cowboys to take. Jeremiah currently has Thieneman ranked as the No. 17 player in the draft class.

Lupoi and Ansley were together on Alabama's coaching staff in 2016 and 2017 before both eventually moved on to roles in the NFL. However, it's possible that the bond they built in those two seasons could benefit Thieneman with a higher draft selection. It might seem like a random connection, but Lupoi only became the defensive coordinator for the Ducks because of one season he spent in Tuscaloosa with Dan Lanning, who was a graduate assistant in 2015 for the Crimson Tide.

Jeremiah went a step further, adding the idea that new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker could look to replicate some of the draft success he had in Philadelphia in 2024, when the Eagles selected Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean with their first two picks. Jeremiah believes Thieneman has similarities to DeJean as a deep safety with versatile abilities that could allow him to line up all over the defense.

The Cowboys have the No. 12 and No. 20 picks in the first round, but if they want Thieneman, they might have to take him with their top selection. Thieneman has been mocked by many draft experts to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 18 overall, and it's possible he won't make it past them on draft night.

Thieneman starred in his lone season in Eugene, totaling 96 tackles and two interceptions, both of which helped seal road wins for the Ducks against Penn State and Washington. Thieneman earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and was named a second-team All-American.

Jeremiah added that some teams have Thieneman as the top safety in the draft, ranked ahead of Ohio State's Caleb Downs, while others have him ranked third at the position behind Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The projections are split, but Thieneman is still considered to be a first-round pick, regardless of the order the safeties are taken in.

Time will tell if Thieneman's connection to the staff of "America's Team" through Lupoi matters enough to bring him to Dallas on draft night.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dillon Thieneman, Tosh Lupoi link sparks Cowboys rumor before draft