Juan Thornhill set for huge step forward for Chiefs in ’22

Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill has set the bar high for himself in 2022. Should Chiefs Kingdom maintain the same All-Pro expectations that he has laid out?

Just about as soon as fans got a glimpse of Kansas City Chiefs jerseys on a field for the first time since losing the AFC Championship game in February, safety Juan Thornhill laid out massive expectations for himself in the upcoming season.

Thornhill is poised to take on a far greater role than he’s been tasked with in the wake of Tyrann Mathieu leaving the team in free agency. It will be a brand new visual for Chiefs fans if Thornhill is to live up to his claims of being an All-Pro player in 2022. Up to this point, he has battled with injuries, and aside from the regular season of his rookie year, he has taken a back seat in the limelight among the safeties.

A breakout season in the form of an All-Pro recognition would be well received by Chiefs Kingdom. Thornhill, in 2019, was drafted in the second round as the 63rd overall pick. Hindsight is always 20-20 in regards to the NFL Draft, but with the 64th selection that year, the Seattle Seahawks took DK Metcalf; a Pro Bowler with 29 receiving touchdowns in his first three seasons.

In fairness to Juan Thornhill, the first 15 games of his rookie year made believers of many Brett Veach doubters. Nearly everyone was bought-in to the safety being Veach’s first great draft pick. That said, it was a massive disappointment when he tore the ACL in his left knee ahead of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 54 championship run.

Since then, Thornhill has never appeared to be at full strength and has struggled mightily to maintain a consistent presence on the field. Now, lining up alongside Justin Reid, he will have as good of a chance to stand out as he has since his rookie campaign. If he truly is at full health and can maintain that status throughout the year, he is as legitimate of a candidate to break out as you will find on this roster. All-Pro or not, expect a huge step forward for Juan Thornhill in comparison to the past two seasons.