England will win and, barring a sensation, they’ll win extremely comfortably. Frankly, Scotland will do well to keep England to 40 points, as they did at the World Cup last autumn.
In the seven meetings before that, England’s points totals against Scotland were 59, 46, 58, 57, 52, 53 and 80.
Against Ireland last weekend, the world champions were missing a raft of players and didn’t deliver anything like their best stuff, but they still won 33-12.
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Only seven of their World Cup starters are starting at Murrayfield and only 12 of their famous 23 are involved. Will it make much difference? Not likely. Not when the ones who are coming in are so impressive.
England have won 34 Tests in a row and are looking for their eighth straight Six Nations title.
When it’s England you’re playing you learn about the beauty of little victories – the number of chances you can create and finish, the amount of time you can keep them scoreless, the strength of your set-piece and the resilience of your mind as the white waves start to crash in on you.
It’s not about the pursuit of victory – let’s be honest – it’s about how many shots you can fire. Against England, the answer is usually ‘not many’. In their seven Six Nations titles on the spin only France have troubled them unduly – losing by one point last season, by five in 2023 and by six in 2020.
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Across the span of those Six Nations seasons the closest any other country has come, before last weekend, was Ireland in 2020 – when they lost by 27 points. As in, 27-0. Ireland’s 21-point defeat at Twickenham in round one of this season’s championship now stands as the best of the rest.
So for Scotland it’s about performance, about how they stay in the fight, how the older players lead and how the younger players learn, how they fix some of the issues they had in victory against Wales – the lineout, especially.
Head coach Sione Fukofuka talked on Thursday about using the energy of the crowd on Saturday.
He also brought it back home a little when he said, charmingly, that his four young sons back home in Brisbane tried to stay up to watch the game from the Principality, with a 01:40 kick-off time in Australia.
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Two conked out, one put in a gallant effort but was a casualty early on and one made it through. This game starts at 22:30 in Brisbane so the numbers might be higher this time.
“I’m not going to lie, there’s an edge, absolutely,” Fukofuka said. “Last week there was a slightly different prep in terms of the emotional rivalry that exists between Wales and Scotland.
“This one, the edge is around performance. The pressure’s on England. There’s an expectation on them to win every game.”
Malcolm says her team is ready to embrace the biggest challenge around. “It’s about being the best Scotland team that we can possibly be,” she says.
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“Last week we tripped up in different areas and Saturday is about taking opportunities when we get them.
“We know what we’re faced with, we’re not going to have the same number of opportunities that we had last week. It’s important that when we have them we’re accurate. We need to be brave, we can’t play within ourselves.”
A record home crowd against the best team in the world – a stage they could only have dreamed about, an occasion to live long in the memory.
The New York Mets are coming out of the first few weeks of the 2026 MLB season with a terrible 7-12 record, which has them at the bottom of the NL East.
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It’s been a rough season already, and while the Juan Soto injury is playing a big role in the struggles so far, their multiple failing experiments to begin the season certainly haven’t helped.
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Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report gave the Mets a brutal, but also appropriate “F” grade for the season so far, thanks in large part to the poor offense and the failing experiment with top prospect Carson Benge.
Mets given ‘F’ grade for brutal 7-12 start to 2026 season
“New York Mets (7-12): F,” Miller writes. “… Unfortunately, they are bottom five in runs scored, with seven of the nine team leaders in plate appearances posting a sub-.600 OPS. (Most notably, the ‘Carson Benge or Bust’ experiment has very much gone in the latter direction thus far).”
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While the Mets could turn things around still, this grade is based on the first 20 or so games of the 2026 MLB season. And for the Mets, the first portion of the season has been a disaster.
They own the worst recovery in the National League, have very little offensive production despite the lineup overhaul, with all but Luis Robert Jr being major disappointments among the new additions to the lineup.
The pitching additions haven’t been great either. Devin Williams has a 6.75 ERA, while Luke Weaver has an 8.10 ERA. Freddy Peralta has been fine with a 3.86 ERA, but overall additions haven’t panned out.
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What other grade could the Mets receive for this start to the year than an “F” grade? It’s gone about as bad as it could, and with Jorge Polanco down with an injury alongside Soto, there is plenty to be concerned about for the Mets this season.
Shakur Stevenson has expressed an interest in moving back down to 135lbs, eager to collect two titles he never previously had the opportunity to claim.
Immediately after securing the WBO super-lightweight title, Stevenson called out Conor Benn, but has since set his sights on a potential move down in weight.
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This is seemingly because the likes of Benn, and indeed WBC world champion Ryan Garcia, are unlikely to face him at a catchweight of 144lbs.
Instead, it appears as though the pair are set for a welterweight showdown in August, while Stevenson explores the possibility of facing Raymond Muratalla.
The IBF lightweight champion comes off a majority decision victory over Andy Cruz, successfully defending his world and Ring Magazine titles in January.
Taking to X, Garcia confirmed that discussions regarding Muratalla’s next title defence are ongoing, but refused to rule out a potential encounter with Stevenson.
“If you listen to the full interview [with BoxingScene] I said Raymond will have one more fight at 135[lbs] and Top Rank is working on locking in a date and opponent. And we will be at 140[lbs] after.
“But if our next fight is [against] you we can do it [at] any weight. We don’t have anything set yet so let’s make it happen.”
If you listen to the full interview I said Raymond will have 1 more fight at 135 and Top Rank is working on locking in a date and opponent. And we will be at 140 after. But if our next fight is vs you we can do it any weight. We dont have anything set yet so lets make it happen https://t.co/H1BHVs33GW
The New York Mets travel to Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon to start a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. The Mets have lost eight straight games and were swept by the Dodgers and the Athletics in their previous series. The Cubs took two of three games in their most recent series against the Phillies. The Mets (7-12), who have lost three straight on the road, are 4-6 on the road this season. The Cubs (9-9), who have three of their last four, are 4-5 on their home field. Kodai Senga (0-2, 7.07 ERA) is on the hill for New York, while Edward Cabrera (1-0, 1.62 ERA) is starting for Chicago.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It was a profitable 35-29 on top-rated MLB money-line picks last season. It also excelled at making home run prop picks in 2025, returning nearly 30 units of profit. Anybody following its MLB betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
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Top Mets vs. Cubs predictions
After 10,000 simulations of Mets vs. Cubs, the model is going Under 10.5 combined runs. The total has gone Under in four of the Mets’ last six games. The total has gone Under in five of the Mets’ last five games against an opponent in the National League Central Division. Three of the last four games have been played to the Under for the Mets.
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SportsLine’s model projects more than 1.7 total bases for just two New York players, with Francisco Lindor leading the way at 1.88 total bases. Chicago, meanwhile, is also projected to have just two players with over 1.7 total bases, Alex Bregman leading the way at 1.78 total bases. The model projects 9.3 combined runs as the Under hits in 66% of simulations. Get the Mets vs. Cubs money-line pick at SportsLine.
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The Houston Astros (8-12) broke out of an eight-game win streak, winning their first two games in Colorado before the Rockies took the series finale on Thursday. The Astros are rock bottom in the AL West standings, 2.5 games behind the leaders, the Texas Rangers, tied on record with the Athletics.
The St. Louis Cardinals recorded two wins against the Cleveland Guardians in their latest series. They come to Houston with a 3-3 record on the road and third in the NL Central with a 10-8 record.
Astros vs Cardinals Game 1: Projected Lineups and Starters
Both lineups are fifth in their respective leagues in home run totals. The Astros have hit 21 bombs while the Cardinals have 20 homers. Yordan Alvarez has hit one-third of Houston’s home runs and also paces them with a .328 average while having an MLB-best 18 RBIs. Similarly, Jordan Walker leads the Cardinals in all three batting metrics (8 home runs, 15 RBIs, .319 average).
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The Cardinals’ pitching staff has recorded a 4.75 ERA in their last ten games. The Astros are worse with a 6.61 ERA in the same stretch of games. St. Louis will start with Kyle Leahy, who earned two runs in his previous loss to the Boston Red Sox on April 12. Houston called up Peter Lambert who will get his first MLB start since 2024.
Astros vs Cardinals Game 1: Projected Odds, Tips and Prediction
Odds as per DraftKings Sportsbook
Moneyline: Astros -143, Cardinals +119
Total: Over 9 (+102), Under 9 (-122)
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Run Line: Astros -1.5 (+153), Cardinals +1.5 (-186)
The Cardinals have a 5-4 record in evening starts, while the Astros have a 5-7 record. But the oddsmakers are trusting the Astros’ home field advantage.
Apr 5, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The LIV Golf logo is seen on banners before the first round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said the league has the financial backing to finish out the 2026 season.
“The reality is you’re funded through the season and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going,” O’Neil said during Thursday’s TNT Sports broadcast of the opening round in Mexico City. “But that’s not different from any other private equity-funded business in the history of man.”
The league’s fourth season his eight tournaments remaining — five in the United States — after this week’s event in Mexico. Up next is LIV Golf Virginia at Trump National Golf Club from May 7-10.
The Financial Times reported earlier this week that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has poured more than $5 billion into the league since 2022, was on the brink of shutting off the financial pipeline.
O’Neil responded to that report by assuring staff members that the season would keep going at “full throttle.”
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O’Neil put a positive spin on the circuit’s financial situation during his interview Thursday.
“Given the momentum of this business, we’re really excited about where we are and the position where we are,” O’Neil said. “… This notion of bringing teams to market, I had two calls this morning. This notion of, ‘Do you have to raise money?’ Probably. This is business. But if we keep the trajectory going the way we are and the revenue growth going, this is going to be a really good business for a really long time.”
Spain’s Jon Rahm, one of the players lured away from the PGA Tour and European tour by lucrative contracts and $30 million purses, said he is focusing on golf instead of the swirling rumors about the league’s potential demise.
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“For me, it didn’t make sense to think about it or waste time thinking about [it],” he said Thursday, per ESPN. “Since everything happened so suddenly and so quickly, I wasn’t very worried about it because normally, before the rumors start, we already know something — there’s always someone within the league who knows something. It happened so fast that I really didn’t worry about it.”
France’s Victor Perez held a three-shot lead at 9 under after firing a 62 in Thursday’s opening round at the Club de Golf Chapultepec in the Mexican capital.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil confirmed reports that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund will stop giving money to the golf league after this season.
However, O’Neil told TNT Sports that he has a “plan” that “might surprise some people.”
“The reality is you’re funded through the season and then you work like crazy as a business to create a business and a business plan to keep us going. But that’s not different from any other private equity-funded business in the history of man,” O’Neil said ahead of the golf tour’s next event in Mexico City on Thursday.
Scott O’Neil attends a press conference in Johannesburg to announce LIV Golf’s return in 2027 on March 22, 2026.(Johan Rynners/Getty Images)
Despite the uncertainty, O’Neil is taking the challenge head on.
“How we go forward is what I’m really excited about. I talked about some structural changes – they’re coming. You can ask just about the 50 people I met at Augusta, I rolled out the plan. We have one, it might surprise some people…” he said.
“This notion of, ‘Do you have to raise money?’ Probably. This is business. But if we keep the trajectory going the way we are and the revenue growth going, this is going to be a really good business for a really long time.”
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Sources told Fox News that the Saudis will stop funding LIV after the 2026 season. The Financial Times was the first to report the news.
O’Neil wrote a memo to LIV employees obtained by Fox News Digital that confirmed that the season was going to go “exactly as planned, uninterrupted, and full throttle.”
Scott O’Neil during day four of LIV Golf South Africa at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg on March 22, 2026.(Johan Rynners/Getty Images)
“While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organization that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before,” O’Neil wrote.
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“The life of a startup movement is often defined by these moments of pressure. We signed up for this because we believe in disrupting the status quo. We have faced headwinds since the jump, and we’ve answered every time with resilience and grace. Now, we answer by doing what we do best: putting on the most compelling show in sports.”
“The noise you hear is simply the sound of a movement that is working. Embrace it. We are pioneers, and while the road isn’t always smooth, the destination is worth every mile,” he said. “Let’s go out and show the world why LIV Golf is the future of the game. It matters. You mattered. Now, let’s go win.
“Long LIV Golf.”
LIV began in 2022 and has produced two major winners in Brooks Koepka, who has since rejoined the PGA Tour, at the 2023 PGA Championship, and DeChambeau at the 2024 U.S. Open.
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(L-R) Former U.S. President Donald Trump, his excellency Yasir Al Rumayyan, Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, and Majed Al Sorour, CEO of Saudi Golf Federation, are seen on stage during day three of the LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 31, 2022, in Bedminster, New Jersey.(Charles Laberge/LIV Golf)
LIV Golf shifted from its 54-hole format, a draw for golfers defecting from the PGA Tour, to 72 beginning this season. Patrick Reed is also set to rejoin the PGA Tour.
Achieving black-type status is highly beneficial for any filly’s future breeding value.
Last-start winner at Flemington, the filly Exit, is bound for Adelaide seeking a stakes win in the Listed H C Nitschke Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.
Ciaron Maher’s filly remains nominated for the Group 3 James H B Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick Saturday, without a jockey yet, but prominent South Australian jockey Rochelle Milnes is engaged for the Adelaide feature.
Jack Turnbull, national assistant to trainer Ciaron Maher, described the Adelaide contest as the milder choice.
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“Hopefully we can get a Black Type victory and that’s why we’re going,” Turnbull said.
“There was a horse in Sydney that was undefeated and obviously the one to beat, and it was drawn outside us, but we’ve decided on Adelaide given it’s a more realistic chance in terms of winning.
“She was an expensive yearling and if we can get Black Type on her page with victory as a three-year-old, it would be huge for her.”
Exit has secured two triumphs in eight outings to date, and her trainer foresees improvement ahead.
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Over 1400m at Flemington recently, she dominated on heavy ground, winning comfortably under Jamie Melham.
Her maiden victory came at Sandown in July on a soft track.
“She will continue to get better, and she’s really come on with the blinkers,” Turnbull said.
The 1400m trip is ideal.
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She’s versatile tactically at this distance; from barrier six, expect her upfront in the first half-dozen.
She thrives on softer ground, benefiting from any precipitation.
Discover betting sites offering the keenest odds for the Listed H C Nitschke Stakes.
Baltimore Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers is looking forward to practices without John Harbaugh running them.
Flowers, 25, played under Harbaugh for three seasons and said his former coach put the Ravens through hard practices, as the veteran coach ran as many contact practices as allowed by the NFL rules. The wide receiver even attributed the Raven’s injuries to the hard practices..
“Full pads all the time,” Flowers said during a recent appearance on the 4th and South podcast. “However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We’re doing one-on-ones in Week 17. Week 17, we’re doing one-on-ones, everybody out there, we’re tired, we’re still going.”
Zay Flowers and head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens stand on the sideline during the national anthem before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 4, 2026.(Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“That’s why we had a lot of injuries,” Flowers said. “Because of how we practiced, how we went. The load was heavy.”
Flowers was asked how players managed the heavier workload. “We don’t,” he responded.
The two-time Pro Bowler cited how many yards he ran in practice as a testament to what Harbaugh’s practices were like.
Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens walks the field before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. The game took place in Baltimore, Maryland, on Dec. 21, 2025.(Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“(In) the first two games of last year, bro, I (ran) 10,000 yards (each),” Flowers said. “I ran 20,000 yards in two games and still ran 4,000, 5,000, 4,000 (yards), in practice that week.”
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter coached under Harbaugh for four seasons, and Flowers was concerned about how the practices would be run. The former Boston College star said the first thing he asked Minter about was how the practices would be ran.
“Yeah, I talked to the new coach,” Flowers said. “He worked with Harbaugh in 2017, so he knows how it was, how we worked with Harbaugh. So he says, ‘You’re going to get your work, but it’s going to be a little easier on your body. You’re going to be fresher for the game.’ That was the first talk I had with him: How’s practice going to look?”
Zay Flowers of the Baltimore Ravens scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
While practices may have been hard under Harbaugh, Flowers was still very productive. Last season in 17 games, he caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns as the Ravens’ top receiver.
Flowers’ comments also could serve as a warning for what New York Giants players should expect from Harbaugh in his first year.
The Forgotten Relics quest is a main mission that takes you through the Ancient Swamps region in Windrose. Stated to be the third unique biome in The Archipelago, the Swamps feature a plethora of hostile flora and fauna. This quest takes you on a journey across multiple swamp islands, where you gather information about Charon’s Obols and examine various sigils that eventually lead you to a boss fight with the High Priestess.
This article walks you through the Forgotten Relics quest in Windrose.
Do note – At the time of writing, this quest temporarily concludes after the boss fight. The true ending of this quest chain will arrive in a future update.
Windrose: Forgotten Relics quest guide
Objective overview
As mentioned above, the Forgotten Relics quest is the third major quest chain that leads us to the local threat of the Ancient Swamps area. Here are all the objectives for this mission:
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Talk to John at the camp
Find and search the priestess’s chambers
Return to John
Collect Senkamati tablets
Give the tablets to John
Ask John about the translation results
Find and examine other inscriptions
Search and inspect the ritual site
Find the priestess’ resting place and recover Charon’s Obol
To be continued…
How to complete
1) Talk to John at the camp
After rescuing John from shackles inside Israel Hands’ boss fight arena, he will become a guest at your home base alongside Doctor Galen Skelton. Talking to John reveals more information about the mark on your player’s body and the powers of Charon’s Obols. He comments that we must locate all variants of this artifact if we intend to escape a grim fate.
Talk to John Doe (Image via SK Gaming || Kraken Express)
2) Search the priestess’s chambers
For the next objective in the Forgotten Relics quest in Windrose, head to an island in the Ancient Swamps biome, highlighted with the objective marker on your map. You will soon reach an ancient ruin guarded by several hostiles like Plague Hunters, Plague Crocodiles, Plague Thralls, and more. Take them out and head to the top of the ruins
Locate the clay tablet in the Forgotten Relic quest (Image via SK Gaming || Kraken Express)
Inside, you will find a Clay Tablet with the prompt to examine it. This will cause the tablet to fall into your arms, and now you must head back to John to make sense of everything in this item.
3) Take the clay tablet back to John
As you head back to the base with the well-preserved clay tablet in the Forgotten Relics quest, John states the item contains partial information. He asks us to look for more such items, which are now dubbed Senkamati clay tablets.
4) Hunt for four more Senkamati tablets
For the next part of this quest, you must head to yet another swamp island and look for four well-preserved Senkamati clay tablets in four different ancient ruins. Be wary of your surroundings since each ancient ruin Point of Interest is filled with hostiles. Bring ample heals and the strongest weapons in your inventory to make sure you don’t struggle in this region.
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Four Senkamati tablet locations (Image via SK Gaming || Kraken Express)
Additionally, be on the lookout for the tainted forest, inside which the last two tablets are located. This tainted forest applies a status effect to your character, that slowly increases a Tainted meter above your guard break symbol.
When this meter fills up, you will instantly die, and there is nothing you can do. Therefore, as soon as you enter this region, focus on the tablets and try to acquire them as quickly as possible.
5) Bring the tablets back to John
After you bring the Senkamati tablets back to John, you must wait for a while until he deciphers the information on the items. Once done, he will state that there wasn’t anything other than a couple of recipes. That’s why you must head out and examine any other such ancient items and inscriptions.
Three murals and an Altar (Image via SK Gaming || Kraken Express)
This time, you must inspect three murals, which are now easier to understand after John described the texts and their involvement of symbols.
Plague enemies in the Forgotten Relics quest chain (Image via SK Gaming || Kraken Express)
Now head to a nearby island and inspect a ritual site highlighted with an objective marker. This ancient ruin site is located in a tainted forest, and dozens of plague-infested enemies will be patrolling the surrounding area. Be wary of the tainted meter while fighting the foes in this part of the map.
Inside the ruin, you will find an Altar that must be examined. You will obtain crucial information about the scratches on this statue and receive an Enchanted Ritual Dagger, which is an important quest item.
6) Find the priestess’s resting place and recover Charon’s Obol
For the current final objective in the Forgotten Relics quest, you must head to a giant circular resting place of the ancient priestess, which will double as a boss fight arena in the ensuing encounter.
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Entering the High Priestess boss fight arena (Image via SK Gaming || Kraken Express)
Head there and interact with the Cursed Plant to use the Enchanted Ritual Dagger.
7) Fight the High Priestess
In this boss fight, you will encounter the third main boss in Windrose and the local threat of the Ancient Swamps region. This boss fight will be relatively slow-paced, allowing you the breathing room to learn all attacks and dodge them.
High Priestess in Forgotten Relics quest (Image via SK Gaming || Kraken Express)
After you complete the encounter, you will obtain the second Charon’s Obol, but the Forgotten Relics quest will not conclude. Instead, a new objective “To be continued…” pops up. Since the game is still in early access, a future update is expected to bring a fitting conclusion to this main quest.
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Dillon Thieneman ending up with the Minnesota Vikings next week is no secret; in fact, one insider confirmed this week that the belief remains widespread.
Thieneman to the Vikings has been shouted to the high heavens for the last six weeks.
Between the Vikings and Carolina Panthers, Thieneman evidently won’t slip out of the Top 20.
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Minnesota Has a Variety of Options at No. 18 — and One Frontrunner
Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman assists linebacker Bryce Boettcher during warmups at Oregon Pro Day, with Mar 17, 2026 marking the event at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. Thieneman participated in drills while showcasing his athletic profile in front of NFL scouts and team personnel. Mandatory Credit: Ben Lonergan-The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Tony Pauline: Thieneman to MIN or CAR Is Likely
Pauline actually spent time addressing Treydan Stukes’s draft stock, mentioning Thieneman for context.
He noted Wednesday, “Some teams grade Treydan Stukes as the third safety on their board after Caleb Downs and Thieneman. Other teams rank him as the top nickel back in the draft, ahead of D’Angelo Ponds. The earlier Thieneman is drafted, the quicker Stukes will come off the board.”
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“Right now, word inside the league is that Thieneman could end up with the Vikings at pick 18 or the Panthers at pick 19.”
Vikings fans extrapolated the intel as further confirmation that Thieneman to the Twin Cities is real.
A Natural Fit for the Harrison Smith Afterlife
Smith completed Year No. 14 in 2025, and truth be told, the final few games felt like a retirement send-off, especially Minnesota’s Week 18 win over the Detroit Lions. But when the offseason arrived, Smith did not retire; three months later, his future remains uncertain. He could return for one more hurrah; he could notfiy the club of his retirement plans at any minute.
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The Vikings drafted Lewis Cine in 2022 and a Smith succession plan, but that didn’t work out — he was a bust — and that was four years ago. Knowing that Smith is nearing the end no matter what, it’s time to forge a plan without him.
Many see stylistic similarities between Thieneman and Smith. He’s become the Vikings’ ultimate mock-draft darling accordingly. Thieneman fired up an NFL Combine for the ages, dragging his then-Round-2 draft stock firmly into Round 1.
Thieneman’s Bio
Thieneman’s production immediately stands out; in 39 games at Purdue and Oregon, he logged 306 tackles, 8 interceptions, and 10 tackles for loss. He established his reputation in the Big Ten, and his subsequent move to Oregon further elevated his profile heading into 2025.
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His Combine performance validated the hype. He ran a blazing 4.35 forty and posted an impressive 41-inch vertical, numbers that align with his on-field performance. At 6’0″ and 200 pounds, he demonstrates the range and versatility to play single-high, drop into the box, and execute various coverage and run support assignments.
Westfield’s Dillon Thieneman (21) takes a handoff fake during high school playoff action against Carmel, with Oct 28, 2022 marking the IHSAA Class 6A sectional semifinal at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. Thieneman contributed in the backfield during the postseason matchup between the Shamrocks and Greyhounds. Mandatory Credit: Gary Brockman-Indy Star / USA TODAY NETWORK.
He closes space quickly and anticipates developing plays with a rare confidence for a young safety. While occasional hesitations are present, as expected given his experience, his speed and awareness suggest he’s on a trajectory toward becoming a Round 1 pick.
The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler on Thieneman: “Thieneman reminds me of Justin Reid because of his scheme-friendly recognition skills and eagerness to get busy as a run defender. He projects as a durable NFL starter and has versatility that should appeal to a variety of defensive structures.”
“With his open-field athleticism, Thieneman has a lot to offer in the NFL because of his versatility making plays over the top in coverage or downhill versus the run. He shows impressive range and anticipation from the deep half of the field, as well as the intelligence to understand what opponents are trying to do. Although he doesn’t always play up to his testing numbers, he can guard both sidelines and sort through routes.”
Other R1 Possibilities for MIN
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If the selection next week is not Thieneman for Minnesota, it could obviously draft someone else at No. 18. These would be the logical candidates:
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq addresses reporters during Big Ten media days, with Jul 23, 2025 marking the event at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sadiq spoke with media members while representing the Ducks ahead of the upcoming college football season. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images.
Via trade back, these rookies could be in play:
Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S, Tennessee)
Kevin Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
T.J. Parker (EDGE, Clemson)
Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)
Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
Kayden McDonald (DL, Ohio State)
Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
C.J. Allen (LB, Georgia)
The Vikings have nine picks on the docket next week, up from five last year. Sportsbooks expect Minnesota to pick a safety in Round 1 — probably Thieneman. After safety as the betting frontrunner, a defensive lineman and an offensive lineman check in at No. 2 and No. 3.
Some expect Minnesota to swerve and take Sadiq, the tight end from Oregon, or Tyson, the wideout from Arizona State.
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