Juan Thornhill fights for a starting spot from Week 1

The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t ready to declare Juan Thornhill ready for a starting safety role just yet, but the rookie is doing everything he can to turn heads.

If the regular season started today, Daniel Sorensen would likely still be a starting safety for the Kansas City Chiefs.

After an offseason in which the Chiefs invested heavily in two presumed new starters at safety, Sorensen, a five-year veteran, occupies a starting spot early in training camp because one of the two newest faces simply isn’t ready. Then again, it’s hard for any rookie, even one as talented as Juan Thornhill, to be ready for the sheer speed of football at the highest level.

Thornhill was the latter of the Chiefs two second-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft (the other being wide receiver Mecole Hardman), a considerable investment (given roster needs elsewhere) that brought in the ballhawk out of Virginia. The selection of Thornhill, at the time, signaled a complete changing of the guard at safety after the team had already signed Tyrann Mathieu in free agency to a three-year deal. The old had indeed passed away.

Mathieu has been starting in Eric Berry‘s old role since he arrived in K.C. and his leadership and demeanor have been instant hits. Instead of Thornhill at free safety, however, Sorensen has occupied his role as Thornhill eases into the mix, a rookie forced to play like one in three safety sets until he’s fully adjusted.

For some coaches, the adjustment comes on the fly in real game experience, but for Steve Spagnuolo, he’s more comfortable letting rookies earn their stripes over time. Sorensen and Mathieu are set, for now, as the safety tandem until Thornhill can break through with the instinctual responses to the ball he displayed in college.

Fortunately that time might be coming sooner than later. Check out these comments from Spags on Wednesday to reporters.

"“I think he’s right on track,” Spagnuolo said. “There were a couple things here today the game might be a little fast right now, but that’s to be expected. That’s why you’ve got to get in some game competition and get up to speed with it. But I think he’ll be fine.”"

Thornhill came into the NFL with a reputation for constantly being around the ball, and fans at training camp have seen those abilities first-hand in the pros. Even on Thursday in practice, Thornhill was either intercepting passes or generating close calls.

Sorensen certainly has value as an experienced, aggressive safety on this roster for Spagnuolo, but Thornhill is without a doubt the upside play. Will Spags give him a chance to learn the ropes in the regular season?

If so, Defensive Rookie of the Year is an award in play for a safety doing everything he can to undo the natural order of things in the NFL and earn a starting spot during his rookie year.