The 2025 NFL Draft ended not even one fortnight ago, yet plenty of draftniks have already turned their attention to covering next year’s draft.
Pro Football Network’s Jacob Infante is one of numerous experts who’s published a mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft in recent days. On May 3, he published a three-round mock draft and has the Miami Dolphins taking University of Oregon defensive star Dillon Thieneman in the opening round.
“Miami’s roster has top-tier talent, but it’s thin in certain spots, especially in the secondary,” Infante wrote. “Safety stands out as a clear area for improvement entering 2025.”
“Dillon Thieneman’s production dipped in 2024, but his transfer to Oregon could help him return to form. As a freshman at Purdue, he had six interceptions and showed elite range. He projects as a rangy, high-upside free safety with playmaker potential.”
The Dolphins’ secondary could potentially be quite depleted by the time the 2025 season rolls around if Miami can’t pick up some talented players in free agency or on the trade market in the coming months.
For one, former longtime Dolphins safety Jevon Holland is no longer a member of the team after he spent the opening four seasons of his NFL career in Miami. He signed a lucrative deal with the New York Giants earlier in the offseason.
Plus, it seems as if it’s only a matter of time at this juncture until All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey gets traded out of Miami. His name has been floating around in trade rumors for a while now, and a recent report indicates that the Dolphins have spoken to several teams — the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles — about a potential Ramsey deal.
Shifting gears to Thieneman, he is slated to play his third season of college football in the 2025 campaign. He suited up for Purdue University as a freshman and sophomore but has since transferred to Oregon.
Across 24 games played with Purdue in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he totaled 144 solo tackles, 66 assisted tackles, 210 combined tackles, seven tackles for los,s and six interceptions. Interestingly, however, he racked up every one of his six interceptions at the collegiate level in his freshman season.
Thieneman ostensibly could mold into a highly effective defensive player in the NFL one day, but it’s probably too early for Dolphins fans to assume he will be on the team’s radar in the first round of next year’s draft.
