Juan Thornhill turns into first-round pick in 2019 re-draft

The 2019 NFL Draft was a nice leap forward for the Kansas City Chiefs when it came to results from a full rookie class after the disaster known as the 2018 draft class. And now a new re-draft from Pro Football Focus of the 2019 results only further bolsters the belief that the Chiefs did well overall.

The Chiefs came into the 2019 NFL Draft without a single first-round pick given the trade for Frank Clark with the Seattle Seahawks. However, they had two second-round selections and used them to grab wide receiver Mecole Hardman and safety Juan Thornhill. Both choices have been three-year contributors on both sides of the ball with big roles to play in a contract year in ’22.

Thornhill in particular earned instant respect from NFL analysts with his ability to step in for the Chiefs secondary as a Week 1 starter under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Together with Tyrann Mathieu, Thornhill helped form a dynamic new safety tandem after seasons of middling play following Eric Berry’s consistent injury record and ultimate release.

Pro Football Focus has re-drafted the 2019 NFL Draft’s first round and Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill earned a first-round mark.

In his re-draft of the 2019 NFL Draft, Trevor Sikkema had the Las Vegas Raiders grabbing Thornhill at No. 27 overall instead of No. 63 where he was originally selected. The Raiders had originally selected Jon Abram at that spot, so here they get the more pro-ready safety in the re-draft.

Thornhill is headed for a big season in 2022 as he recently predicted an All-Pro performance for himself. He’s also hoping to return to form after suffering a season-ending ACL injury during his rookie campaign that has kept him at a limited capacity in the next two seasons. Last year, he even sat behind Daniel Sorensen during a frustrating stretch that had fans wondering what was going on behind the scenes.

As for the Chiefs, they’re given a new safety in Nasir Adderley at No. 29 overall, but a proper re-draft would have given that pick to the Seattle Seahawks since they held the pick at the time.

An interesting note here is that Mecole Hardman, the first of two second-round selections, was left out here but could have easily been a pick in the first round given the other players who made it into the bottom of the first in this re-draft. The Patriots took tight end Noah Fant in this exercise, but Hardman has similar production and also brings return skills to the mix as well.