Locked On Cowboys – NFL Draft Preview: Dillon Thieneman, Emmanuel McNeil Warren, and Zakee Wheatley as Cowboys Safety Prospects

Podcast: Locked On Cowboys – Daily Podcast On The Dallas Cowboys
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Date: February 24, 2026
Episode Theme: Deep dive into 2026 NFL Draft safety prospects for the Dallas Cowboys—notably Dillon Thieneman, Emmanuel McNeil Warren, and Zakee Wheatley—excluding consensus top prospect Caleb Downs.

Episode Overview

This episode breaks down the top 2026 NFL Draft safety prospects, focusing on versatile, high-upside players who could be available when the Dallas Cowboys pick in the first round. With Caleb Downs likely out of reach by pick 12, Marcus and Landon provide detailed scouting reports, debate best fits for Dallas, and compare athletic profiles, play styles, and NFL translation of Dillon Thieneman (Oregon/Purdue), Emmanuel McNeil Warren (Toledo), and Zakee Wheatley (Penn State).

1. Dillon Thieneman: The “Modern” Swiss Army Knife Safety

(Starting at 01:38)

Scouting Report Highlights

• Background: Once the 988th-ranked recruit in 2023, majorly outperformed his pedigree.
• Collegiate Journey: Shined at Purdue (two years) and Oregon (one year).
• Athletic Profile: “He clears the physical thresholds... 6’0+, 205 pounds—a bit light but checks the boxes.”
  — Landon McCool (03:13)
• Versatility: Played multiple roles—single-high, “star” safety, slot defender.
• Coverage Prowess: “He’s wonderful in coverage, but you’re not getting Bob Sanders or Sean Taylor back there.”
  — Marcus Mosher (05:33)
• Tackling: Reliable and technically sound, “not missing tackles, but not laying the boom either.”
• Zone Ability: “I think he's just a really good, versatile safety that can play any role.”
  — Marcus Mosher (07:46)
• Production: 8 INTs, 11 pass breakups, 6 career touchdowns.
• Athletic Upside: Expected to impress at the combine.
• Best NFL Fit: “Solid, dependable, versatile utility interior defensive back... I'd love to see him try to play in the slot.”
  — Landon McCool (05:48)
• Notable Metric: +21 “stops to missed tackle” ratio; targeted more at Oregon, likely due to varied alignments. (03:17)
• NFL Concerns: Lack of elite physicality; can he tackle consistently against NFL size/speed?

Notable Quotes

• “[Thieneman] is the kind of modern-day safety... these guys that can just line up all over the field... I think he’s probably the best fit for Dallas.”
  — Marcus Mosher (07:46)
• “Fluid hips, very quick feet... clean technique and pursuit, no wasted movement.”
  — Landon McCool (05:48)

2. Emmanuel McNeil Warren: Traditional Body, Stopping Power

(Starting at 12:08)

Scouting Report Highlights

• Background: 3-star, 1357th ranked recruit in 2022; four-year starter at Toledo.
• Physical Tools: 6’2”, 206–209 lbs, long arms—“well-built” and athletic.
• Production: 5 INTs, 11 PBUs, 11 forced fumbles in under 2,000 career snaps.
• Run Defense & Tackling: “Not afraid to throw his body around... technique leaves a little to be desired at times.”
  — Landon McCool (13:25)
• Coverage Ability: Excellent range, reactive athlete, adjusts well to the ball.
• Versatility: Can line up close to the line or as a true single-high; used in the slot.
• NFL Translation: “A bit of an enforcer... there is just stopping power that I haven’t seen from a lot of safeties in the last 10 years.”
  — Marcus Mosher (17:21)
• Questions: Inconsistent tackling in 2025 (16% missed tackles), mainly attributed to ramped-up aggression.

Notable Quotes

• “When he makes tackles, there is just stopping power ... running backs stop in their tracks.”
  — Marcus Mosher (17:21)
• “We don’t want to give the impression that this guy is a box safety only... I’d love for him to be my regular single-high safety.”
  — Landon McCool (19:09)

Player Comparisons

• Marcus compares McNeil Warren to former 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga: “Hufanga will miss some tackles, but he’s that enforcer, that robber defender in the middle.”

3. Zakee Wheatley: Boom-or-Bust Cover Safety

(Starting at 23:03)

Scouting Report Highlights

• Background: Highly-touted 4-star recruit, 350th nationally in 2021.
• Athletic Build: “Stretched, slight safety. Leggy, little muscle development.”
• Coverage Prowess: “32.5 coverage snaps per target—that’s impressive at Penn State.”
  — Landon McCool (23:19)
• Range & Fluidity: “Moves cleanly in space, good ankle flexibility... rangy, gets low to coil and spring on targets.”
• Physicality Concerns: “Not a ton of sand in his pants... not really one to mix things up down low or in the box.”
  — Landon McCool (25:55)
• Blitzing/Tackling Issues: Bad blitzer, struggles with block shedding, inconsistent tackling—“lack of physicality unlocks those things.”
• NFL Ceiling: “Does his best work back in coverage... Is he limited to single-high & palms coverage?”
  — Landon McCool (26:12)
• Age: Will be 25 during rookie season; older than most prospects.
• Draft Range: “Day 2 pick, probably more third round than second... gap between the top two and him is significant.”
  — Marcus Mosher (27:08)

Notable Quotes

• “The gap between Thieneman, McNeil Warren, and Wheatley is honestly a much, much bigger gap than what I have between Downs and Thieneman/McNeil.”
  — Marcus Mosher (27:08)
• “You’re going to have problems if you don’t have really good tacklers at the other 10 positions and this is your last line of defense.”
  — Landon McCool (27:30)

4. Cowboys-Specific Fit & Final Rankings

(Starting at 27:48)

• For Dallas:
  • Thieneman and McNeil Warren are both considered strong late-first round values; scheme fit gives Thieneman an edge.
  • Wheatley is a distant third due to physical and age-related limitations.
• “For Dallas: Thieneman, McNeil Warren, Gap, Wheatley.”
  — Marcus Mosher (27:48)
• “I like McNeil Warren as the prospect better, but for Dallas, Thieneman’s honestly probably the better fit.”
  — Marcus Mosher (28:00)

5. Memorable Moments & Insights

• Analytical deep dive on “stops to missed tackle” as a differentiator for safeties (03:17, Thieneman; 13:25, McNeil Warren; 23:19, Wheatley).
• Realistic breakdowns of coverage vs. physicality trade-offs for each prospect.
• Direct, candid assessment of the Cowboys’ need for “more dogs on defense”—meaning more physical, tone-setting players.
• Repeated emphasis: “Versatility is king for safeties, especially in Dallas’ evolving defense.”

Key Timestamps

• 01:38 – 10:14: Dillon Thieneman deep-dive
• 12:08 – 21:39: Emmanuel McNeil Warren scouting and comparison
• 23:03 – 28:27: Zakee Wheatley’s breakdown, rankings, and Cowboys fit

In Summary

Marcus and Landon deliver a detailed comparative breakdown of non-Caleb Downs safety prospects for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2026 NFL Draft, emphasizing each player's strengths, weaknesses, and specific fit in Dallas. Thieneman’s coverage ability and versatility make him the top Cowboys target. McNeil Warren brings needed physicality and “enforcer” skills but has tackling consistency to refine. Wheatley’s range and coverage stand out, but lack of physicality and age keep him a rung below for Dallas’ needs. Both hosts agree: picks in the 20s for the first two prospects would provide plug-and-play, multi-position back-end defenders, while Wheatley represents more of a risk/reward option for teams seeking pure coverage.

Notable Quotes at a Glance:

• “Solid, dependable, versatile utility interior defensive back”—Landon on Thieneman (05:48)
• “Stopping power that I haven’t seen in 10 years”—Marcus on McNeil Warren (17:21)
• “Gap between Thieneman, McNeil Warren and Wheatley is much bigger than between Downs and the first two.”—Marcus (27:08)