"You got leader back there" - Ex-SB XLVI champ touts Juan Thornhill as Minkah Fitzpatrick's superior replacement after All-Pro Safety's Dolphins trade

Juan Thornhill was selected in the second round, No. 63 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. After spending four seasons with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the club where he won two Super Bowl Championships, Thronhill signed with the Cleveland Browns, where he played for the next two campaigns.

However, earlier this offseason, Thornhill was released by the Browns and went on to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to the popular sports contract and financial company 'Spotrac', the deal is a one-year contract worth $3 million.

Despite the deal not being for major money or term, former NFL defensive player Will Blackmon recently highlighted how Thornhill has the skills and abilities to be a great leader in the Steelers locker room this year.

Blackmon's quotes were transcribed by NFL analyst Josh Carney of 'Steelers Depot' in a recent article.

"Juan Thornhill, the safety that they got... He has 74 starts, is a two-time Super Bowl Champion. So, you lose Minkah [Fitzpatrick], but you got a leader back there who knows exactly what to do, who knows exactly what it takes to win championships," Blackmon said.

What can Juan Thornhill bring to the Pittsburgh Steelers?

Thornhill is an extremely accomplished NFL player and has still been effective over the past few seasons in the league. Although his overall numbers have been down since arriving in Cleveland two years ago, Thornhill has shown that he is extremely talented and can make a difference at the professional level.

In his first four years in the league, Thornhill had averaged 58.5 total tackles, 40.25 solo tackles, and two interceptions per season. However, since arriving in Cleveland, he only averaged 51.5 total tackles, 36 solo tackles, and no interceptions per year over the past two campaigns.

While there is a chance that those lower numbers are the result of being on a worse defensive unit and overall team, Thornhill will have big shoes to fill in the absence of Fitzpatrick on the Steelers roster in 2025.