Getty Cincinnati Bengals tight end Jordan Franks.
Mandatory minicamp for the Kansas City Chiefs began on June 14, and one offensive skill player, in particular, was catching the attention of those in attendance.
“Out of the woodwork: TE Jordan Franks turned heads a few times during practice,” Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride wrote in a Twitter thread after Day 1 of minicamp. “A touchdown from Chad Henne down the seam, a toe-drag-swag from Henne down the sideline and another catch by fighting off a defender. 2018 undrafted free agent… officially on the radar.”
Out of the woodwork: TE Jordan Franks turned heads a few times during practice. A touchdown from Chad Henne down the seam, a toe-drag-swag from Henne down the sideline and another catch by fighting off a defender. 2018 undrafted free agent… officially on the radar.
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Franks’ NFL Career, Chances of Making KC’s Roster
Franks, 26, entered the NFL undrafted in 2018. He began his journey by joining the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad in October 2018. He remained with the team until 2020, playing in six games during his stint with them. From there he joined the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad for what would be only a couple of weeks during the 2020 season. In 2021, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Cleveland Browns and played in one game for them during the 2021 season.
In January of this year, Franks signed a reserve/futures contract with the Chiefs.
With Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Blake Bell and Jody Fortson ahead of Franks on the depth chart, it’ll be very difficult for Franks to find a spot on Kansas City’s 53-man roster come September. However, it’s possible — if he keeps producing during practice and then during the preseason — that he could make the Chiefs’ practice squad by the end of the summer.
Juan Thornhill Predicts He’ll Have All-Pro Season
2022 has been a unique year for Kansas City safety Juan Thornhill. Why? Because it marks the first year since he entered the NFL that he has made it through the entire offseason fully healthy.
As a second-round pick in 2019, Thornhill had a strong rookie campaign before he was placed on injured reserve following Kansas City’s Week 17 game against the then-San Diego Chargers due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He then spent the entire 2020 offseason rehabbing back from that injury. So, the 2022 offseason was the first in which Thornhill was able to participate in the Chiefs’ offseason program with no physical ailments.
Being healthy for the entirety of the offseason has Thornhill confident about what’s to come in Year 3. So much so that he has made a bold prediction regarding his expectations for the 2022 season.
Speaking to the media after Day 1 of mandatory minicamp in Kansas City, Thornhill was asked how it feels to be fully healthy and what he expects from himself moving forward.
“I’m having an All-Pro season. I’m putting that out there,” he said on June 14.
This prediction made by Thornhill falls in line with a series of tweets he posted in May, which expressed how good he has felt this offseason.
With Tyrann Mathieu and Dan Sorensen no longer with the Chiefs, Thornhill is projected to be a starter alongside Justin Reid in Kansas City’s secondary next season. If Thornhill is able to capitalize on the starting opportunity by producing at a high level, then earning All-Pro status isn’t out of the realm of possibility, although it is a rather tall feat for the third-year defender.
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