KC Chiefs: Evaluating the safety position for Kansas City
Returning Safeties
The Chiefs will have only one returning safety who saw significant playing time last year and two returning players who are likely destined for special teams or the practice squad.
Juan Thornhill
One of the underrated headlines for the Chiefs this offseason is Juan Thornhill’s confidence. The fourth-year safety predicted an all-pro season for himself a few weeks ago.
The Chiefs used the 63rd overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft (acquired from the Rams in the Marcus Peters trade) on the former Virginia Cavalier safety. Since then, Thornhill has totaled five career interceptions and ten career pass breakups. After a strong start to his rookie year, his 2019 season ended with a torn ACL in Week 17. After a bit of a sophomore slump in 2020, and a lack of snaps to start the 2021 season, Thornhill has a solid third season in 2021 to earn a solid PFF overall defensive grade ($) of 70.1, including a coverage grade of 69.9 and a career-high run defense grade of 66.9.
Thornhill will be the ONLY returning safety for the Chiefs who played more than 10 defensive snaps for them in 2021. He will be relied upon for system knowledge to the younger/newer players at his position and will also be playing for a new contract since he is a free agent after the 2022 season.
Juan Thornhill will be under pressure to play well, not only because of his words but also because of the competition behind him from Bryan Cook and Deon Bush and a potential pay raise in 2023. He may not be the biggest x-factor for the Chiefs this season but they will also not turn down any productive play from a defender.
Devon Key
Devon Key is entering his second year with the Chiefs after spending the entire 2021 season on their practice squad.
Key, of course, only saw preseason snaps in 2021, where he allowed a less than ideal 142.7 passer rating in coverage, per PFF ($). In my opinion, the only way that Key makes the Chiefs in 2022 is to win one of Dave Toub’s special teams spots since I do not believe that he has the tools of a starting caliber safety in the NFL.
Zayne Anderson
Zayne Anderson, despite only playing six defensive snaps and 128 total snaps last season, managed to be the target of much criticism from Chiefs fans. He committed penalties on special teams in back-to-back games in Weeks 17 and 18, including a holding call that took a Byron Pringle kickoff return touchdown off the board. That touchdown would have made it 34-17 Chiefs in a game they ended up losing 34-31 to the Bengals and likely cost them the #1 seed in the AFC.
In order to make the Chiefs, like Key, Anderson will have to excel in special teams since I don’t think that he has the tools to become a regular defensive player in the NFL.