Kansas City Chiefs have two legitimate Rookie of Year contenders
By Matt Conner
The Opportunity for Juan Thornhill
Juan Thornhill, in particular, should enjoy the chance to start from day one in Steve Spagnuolo’s new defense next to one of the league’s best and most versatile safeties in Tyrann Mathieu.
It’s a perfect situation for Thornhill to make an immediate impact and turn heads around the league. Think about how often the Chiefs will be in primetime, and the lead story after Patrick Mahomes will be how well the Chiefs can turn around their defense. The team will be going from Ron Parker and Eric Murray to Thornhill and Mathieu, which should yield immediate dividends in the secondary. If the Chiefs show even a chance of closing out games without needing a shootout, Thornhill will get a lot of the credit.
Let’s not forget that teams are going to have to throw the ball again and again to keep up with the Chiefs offense. Last season, the Chiefs defense watched quarterbacks attempt 632 passes, more than any team in the last two years. That’s a lot of opportunity for a ballhawk of a safety like Thornhill proved to be at Virginia, where he had 26 batted passes and 13 interceptions in his collegiate career.
If Thornhill can start a full season, help improve a contender’s defense, and show off his skills to the tune of a few interceptions, Thornhill could be in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year.