General manager John Schneider is clearly one of the best at what he does, but he also understands the Seattle Seahawks are likely going to lose some key players in free agency, one being Coby Bryant. A potential replacement, Oregon's Dillon Thieneman, might not be unattainable for Seattle.
Bryant became an unsung star for head coach Mike Macdonald's defense over the last couple of seasons. Because of that, he is likely going to have an asking price of more than $10 million a season in free agency. Schneider may see the team as having other priorities, though, such as re-signing edge rusher Boye Mafe or running back Kenneth Walker.
If Bryant does leave, finding his replacement in the 2026 NFL draft would be ideal. That would give Seattle a player under at least four years of control with a huge upside. Few safeties in the draft would seemingly be a better fit than Thieneman. He has positional flexibility, which Macdonald loves, as he can play any safety spot.
Seattle Seahawks might not have a chance to draft Oregon's Dillon Thieneman
While he isn't a thumper when it comes to running into ball-carriers, he is willing to do so, is fantastic in coverage, and can be used on blitzes as needed. He started his college career at Purdue before transferring to Oregon in 2025, and was elite in his first and third seasons, but had an odd dip in year two. Overall, though, he allowed six touchdown passes but had eight interceptions.
This past season, he also had 30 run stuffs, and appears to have a high football IQ for how a play is unfolding. This is obviously something Macdonald wants from his players, but Thieneman's raw athleticism might allow him to be selected higher than Seattle's 32nd pick in the 2026 draft.
Thieneman put that athleticism on full display at the Scouting Combine. He ran a 4.35 40-yard dash, had a 41-inch vertical jump, and a 10'5" broad jump. He did 18 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Draft guru Daniel Jeremiah compared him to the Philadelphia Eagles' Cooper DeJean, a First-Team All-Pro in 2025.
The overall positive for the Seattle Seahawks is that the safety class is one of the deeper positions in the 2026 draft. Should Dillon Thieneman be gone by pick 32, which seems like a certainty at this point, Seattle would have a chance at another high-end safety. That player might just not have the career that Thieneman will have.
Of course, John Schneider will know what he needs to do at safety by the time the draft happens at the end of April. Maybe the team can re-sign Coby Bryant. That feels unlikely, however.