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Rookies Juan Thornhill and Khalen Saunders: different paths to the same road to KC

No. 22 and No. 99.

Those are the numbers on the jerseys of two of the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive puzzle pieces from the 2019 NFL Draft: rookies Juan Thornhill, a safety out of Virginia, and Khalen Saunders, a defensive tackle out of Western Illinois.

Two different numbers—each chosen for personal reasons.

“One of my biggest inspirations was Aaron Donald, “ Saunders said of his fellow No. 99 of the Los Angeles Rams during Saunders’ first press conference Saturday. “He is number 99 and he kind of paved the way for shorter defensive linemen, and that’s what I am.