The Steelers didn’t sign Juan Thornhill as a free agent knowing he would start, but that’s how things eventually developed. After trading Minkah Fitzpatrick to bring in Jalen Ramsey, they had no other play. Although Ramsey will see time at safety, Thornhill should be on the field for the majority of the defensive snaps.
And Mike DeFabo believes he could have a surprisingly impactful season. Maybe not necessarily a great season, but a playmaking one. Discussing Thornhill’s projection on 93.7 The Fan recently, he sees the potential for a “splashy season.” Citing the Steelers’ scheme and intention to play man coverage, he believes the opportunity is there.
“Free safety, the way that they get their interceptions and produce their splash is with tipped balls and overthrows, and you get those when you’re playing man coverage,” he said. “I could see a year where Juan Thornhill has a splashy season.”
A 2019 second-round pick, Juan Thornhill has 74 starts in 87 games over a six-year career. In four years with the Chiefs, he started 52 of 65 games, intercepting eight passes. Injuries plagued him after signing with the Browns in 2023, missing 12 games over a two-year period. During that time, he had a low-impact career, with just four passes defensed and one tackle for loss. At one point, he even earned the derogatory moniker of Jog Thornhill.
The Steelers signed Thornhill in March to a one-year, $3 million contract, likely partially because the Browns released him. Mindful of their compensatory draft picks, they did target veterans who would not count against them. At the time, of course, they still had Minkah Fitzpatrick, and presumably expected to keep him. Then again, the Dolphins were reportedly surprised he was available, but in acquiring Jalen Ramsey’s deal, they wanted to offload a big salary and protect their draft capital.
“If Juan Thornhill is your weak link on defense, I actually think that that’s good enough,” DeFabo argued. “I don’t think he’s going to be an All-Pro or a Pro Bowler or even a plus starter, but I think that he is going to be a serviceable starter that I think is going to produce more of a splash than even people would expect, based on the schematics, based on how the Steelers are going to play things.”
Since just last year, the Steelers have radically transformed the secondary. The only starters returning are Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott. The former is a third-year draft pick, the latter a 2024 free-agent signing. Juan Thornhill, Jalen Ramsey, and Darius Slay are all new to the team, as are Brandin Echols and Chuck Clark. Then there’s Miles Killebrew, but his job is special teams. The new recruits, however, believe this can be a special unit.
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