“Run fast, jump high and be explosive,” linebacker Bryce Boettcher said after his showing at the Oregon Pro Day on Tuesday. That theme echoed throughout the Ducks’ defensive cohort as they gave scouts one last showing before April’s NFL Draft.

The Ducks were a solid defensive group last season, placing seventh-best in college football in yards allowed per game, fourth in passing yards per game and 12th in points per game. Those numbers were fueled by the Ducks NFL hopefuls Boettcher, Dillon Thieneman, Theran Johnson and Jadon Canady.

Boettcher, Thieneman, and Canady all attended the NFL Combine in late Feb. through early March and had some solid performances. The best performance of the Combine out of those three was Thieneman.

Thieneman, who transferred to Oregon from Purdue before the 2025-2026 season, was one of, if not the, best pickup the Ducks had in the 2025 offseason. Thieneman’s biggest moments for the Ducks were two game winning catches: The first was in overtime to beat then-No. 3 Penn State and the other to seal the game against rival Washington. Thieneman also finished 10th in the Big Ten in assisted tackles, and 14th in total tackles. 

At the Combine, Thieneman showed why he projects as another stellar Oregon defensive back in the NFL. He scored a prospect grade of 6.32 which, by NFL’s Next Gen Stats description, means he “will eventually be (a) plus starter.” The 6-foot, 201-pound safety ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, had a 41-inch vertical jump and finished with a total score of 81, which put him as the fourth best safety in the 2026 draft class.

Because of Thieneman’s stellar showing at the Combine, he did not participate in Ducks Pro-Day despite being listed as someone who might. 

Boettcher was the only linebacker that Oregon was sending to the draft this season. After being a walk-on and working his way to being one of the best on the field for the Ducks, Boettcher now turns his sights away from his hometown of Eugene to the NFL. 

Boettcher went to the Combine but, like most linebackers, he did not compete in the agility section. Because he only competed in the on field drills, his report doesn’t have as much information as Thieneman’s did. 

The Combine left Boettcher with a prospect grade of 5.98 and the description that he will be an “average back up or special-teamer.”

Boettcher did compete in the agility drills at the Ducks Pro-Day. While the Ducks did not release any specific times across the agility events, Boettcher looked explosive in all three as added to his already-solid report. 

“I was happy with my numbers,” Boettcher said. “Obviously, (I) don’t know the officials yet, but yeah, felt like it went good.”

Overall, Boettcher turned in a solid Pro Day. His agility looked strong, he turned in a good performance in his position group drills and while he didn’t turn any heads he didn’t lower his stock either. 

Canady and Johnson were the last two Ducks to go. Both ran their drills at the same time and both had a rough showing. 

The defensive backs had some issues reeling the ball in. Johnson accumulated two dropped passes on the day and Canady dropped three. Though dropping more than one isn’t what either wanted, they did show a lot of athleticism. Johnson showed his quickness and height in the position drills as he did not compete in the agility drills, while Canady showed his speed and agility in both drills. 

Canady went to the Combine as well. He turned in a good performance, ending with a prospect grade of 6.19 and a description of “good backup with the potential to turn into a starter.” 

“Today I just came out here loose,” Canady said. “I did end up jumping high, running fast and drills went good.”

Now that each player has shown all they could at either the Combine or Pro Day, it’s up to the scouts to see where each will go. Currently, only Thieneman is projected to go in the first three rounds, in the first round to the Minnesota Vikings with the 18th overall pick. 

The NFL Draft will take place from Apr. 23 through Apr. 25 and can be watched via NFL Network, ESPN and ABC.