Juan Thornhill chooses a slick new number with the Browns
By Randy Gurzi
This offseason, the Cleveland Browns added a few new starters on defense and one that brings a lot of excitement to the roster is Juan Thornhill. The former Kansas City Chiefs' free safety fills a major need as a centerfield defender and brings over a lot of playoff experience as well.
Thornhill has two Super Bowl rings and while one was earned after he was injured, he was an integral part of their second-half comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles in February.
We already knew about the experience and talent Thornhill was going to bring but now we also know he's going go look good as well in the secondary. That's because he announced on Twitter that he has his new jersey number โ and he's going with No. 1.
Thornhill, who was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Virginia, where he wore No. 21, has been No. 22 with the Chiefs. Of course, when he first joined the league, defensive backs weren't allowed to wear single digits.
The league changed that rule in 2021 and Thornhill will now take advantage.
Not every Browns free agent got the number they wanted
Cleveland's first free agent addition this offseason was Ogbo Okoronkwo, who spent 2022 with the Houston Texans following a stint with the Los Angeles Rams. A former pass-rushing linebacker, he will play defensive end with the Browns โย which means he can't wear the number he wants.
Okoronkwo originally wanted to go with the No. 7, saying with his initials he would be "OO7." However, he recently went to Twitter to tell fans he won't get his wish since defensive ends don't get the "swaggy numbers."
That means he will go with the No. 45 once again which is a let down because "OO7" would have been the best nickname.