Player: S Juan Thornhill
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The Steelers aren’t just bringing in Juan Thornhill in case of emergency. The way Mike Tomlin talked about him, it sounds as though they have plans to use him. He isn’t here to start, but he should function in sub-packages, which the Steelers love to use.
After three years, Pittsburgh decided it had enough of Damontae Kazee. Mostly serving as a third safety and sub-package defender, he is now out. The Steelers have brought in veteran Juan Thornhill to replace him, and one should expect him to play.
During the annual league meetings, Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said of Thornhill that it would be a “fun endeavor” to figure out how to divide the snaps at safety. Now, he isn’t taking Minkah Fitzpatrick’s snaps, but he could play Fitzpatrick’s role.
The Steelers are getting a very experienced player in Juan Thornhill, with over 4,600 career snaps. He hasn’t had an interception since 2022, but then again, nearly the same could be said of Fitzpatrick. Prior to last season, during which he worked rotationally, he had been a full-time starter.
Still 29 years old, he is also somewhat on the young end. As depth, Thornhill should serve the Steelers well. He also gives them another option to work different secondary packages, including more dime. Importantly, he also gives them a different look in the slot, an area the Steelers are trying to address.
And of course, Juan Thornhill is a former second-round pick. You know how the Steelers like their pedigree. The fact that he spent the past two years in the AFC North with the Browns doesn’t hurt, either. Prior to Cleveland, he was with the Chiefs, so the Steelers saw him fairly regularly over the years.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. Once the dust settles on free agency, we turn our attention to the draft, and so on. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
