Bengals Gain ‘Aggressive’ Secondary Help in 2026 NFL Mock Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Cincinnati Bengals still have not locked down their first-round draft pick from this year as Shemar Stewart threatens to re-enter next year’s draft over a contract dispute.
Weirdly, it’s not a dispute over money, but bonus language inserted by the team.
With Stewart’s future in question and Trey Hendrickson also threatening to hold out this season, the Bengals’ defense is also uncertain in 2025.
Cincinnati did add South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round and Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter in the fourth round, but the secondary remains an area of concern.
That’s an area where the Bengals could improve through the draft in 2026, as PFSN has Cincinnati addressing it at No. 26 overall in its way-too-early NFL Mock Draft.
ROUND 1, PICK 26 – Cincinnati Bengals: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
“Dillon Thieneman transfers from the Purdue Boilermakers to Oregon for the 2025 season as one of the best safeties in the game,” PFSN wrote. “The 6’0”, 207-pound defensive back has elite twitch and speed while having the ball tracking and awareness to make plays on the ball. His physicality, aggressive tackling, and positional versatility give Thieneman first-round caliber traits.”
Thieneman shows as the No. 2 safety prospect behind only Ohio State’s Caleb Downs per Matt Miller with ESPN.
Now, thanks to the transfer portal, he’s joining an Oregon program known for producing top NFL talent. His play in 2024 at Purdue placed him as not just the best player at his position, but at times, the best player on the field.
Related: Defense Predicted to ‘Make or Break’ Bengals 2025 Season in Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios
Related: Analyst Questions Trey Hendrickson’s Future with Bengals
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.