Kansas City Chiefs: Grading each selection in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Cullen Jekel
Round 2, Pick 63: Juan Thornhill, Safety, Virginia
After only two safeties were selected in the first round, there was a run on the position Friday night with five being selected. Thornhill was the fifth right after the Chargers grabbed Delaware’s Nasir Adderley and the Rams took Washington’s Taylor Rapp.
By selecting Thornhill, who led the Virginia Cavaliers in tackles (98) and interceptions (six) last season, the Chiefs acquire a do-it-all defensive back who will most likely steal playing time from Daniel Sorensen, Armani Watts, and Jordan Lucas.
Pairing Tyrann Mathieu, the Chiefs’ biggest free agency acquisition, with Thornhill not gives the defense a completely revamped looked, but a lethal one, too.
The Draft Network, which actually had Thornhill as the third-ranked safety, wrote about this about him:
"…he’s terrific with his spacing and spatial awareness to transition between routes and ensure he’s in position to challenge the football. Thornhill has value in the shallow areas as well thanks to his experience as a CB and can be used in pressure packages in man to man. An intelligent player and starter."
Great selection.