The emergence of Mike Jackson Sr. has helped turn the Carolina Panthers' secondary into one of the most dangerous units in football.
Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn led all NFL corners with five interceptions. His running mate, Jackson, bested the league with 19 pass breakups. Veteran safety Tre'von Moehrig ranked 11th league-wide with 11 tackles for loss.
Yes, the entire NFL. Linebackers and defensive linemen included.
And yet, despite all that production, the middle of the field remained vulnerable in pass coverage. Improved linebacker play would certainly help, but there’s an underrated move that could take this secondary from great to flat-out elite: upgrading the nickel/free safety spot.
Carolina Panthers should seriously consider drafting Dillon Thieneman at No. 19
Nick Scott is an impending free agent. Nickel corner Chau Smith-Wade has struggled to be more than a replacement-level contributor. So what if Carolina could address both roles with one pick?
That’s why Oregon Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman is such an intriguing name at No. 19 overall.
Thieneman lit up the NFL Scouting Combine, posting a 41-inch vertical and a 10-foot-5 broad jump. These are explosive numbers that backed up what he showed on film.
At 6-foot-0 and 201 pounds, Thieneman has the build and burst teams covet on the back end. Over a three-year career at Oregon and Purdue, he racked up 302 tackles and two sacks. His closing speed and willingness to blitz made him a magnet to the football, allowing his coaches to deploy him at strong safety and big nickel over the past two seasons.
He even flexed his strength at the Combine, putting up 18 reps on the bench press, the best mark among safeties. But here’s the key: for all the talk about his box presence, Thieneman wasn’t always living near the line of scrimmage.
As a freshman at Purdue, he played single-high free safety and thrived. Thieneman showcased elite range and instincts, intercepting six passes while adding 106 tackles and forcing two fumbles. So when he blazed a 4.35-second 40-yard dash with a 1.52-second 10-yard split at the Combine, it wasn’t shocking to anyone who followed his college career closely.
Thieneman’s experience at all three modern safety roles — free, strong, and nickel — is rare. Being worthy of a first-round grade at all three? That’s an anomaly.
As a former defensive back, it wouldn't be surprising if defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero falls in love with the Oregon standout. Dropping Thieneman into Carolina’s secondary could elevate the unit into nickname territory. The kind of feared, identity-driven defense that defines contenders.
And if the Panthers want to keep ruling the NFC South, that kind of firepower in the middle of the field might be exactly what they need.