The Kansas City Chiefs selected safety Jaden Hicks in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Hicks will join the Chiefs from Washington State, where he was a two-year starter and earned numerous accolades in his brief time in Pullman.
Hicks will join a Chiefs secondary that was considered one of the best in the NFL during the 2023 season and played a major role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory. The Chiefs traded star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and also saw the departure of Mike Edwards in the offseason, so Hicks will have a chance to find the field in 2024.
Justin Reid and Bryan Cook will be the starting safeties in 2024, but Hicks will have the opportunity to learn from both players and carve out a role on the team.
Hicks Evaluation
In Kansas City, Hicks will likely line up as the team’s free safety and, due to his skill set, can also be the team’s third safety in Nickel and Dime appearance.
Hicks had a solid athletic performance at the NFL Combine and at his pro day, scoring well in almost every category except the shuttle race.
At 6’0” and 211 pounds, Hicks has great size and weight for the position, as well as the ability to run a legitimate 4.5-second 40-yard dash. This more than meets the criteria needed to play safety in the NFL, but one area of Hick’s testing that does show up on film of him is a lack of ability to smoothly change direction in space.
Against smaller, faster slot players, Hicks struggled at times to maintain pace or redirect after defending against a fast cut or break. What Hicks brings is a strong tackle and a versatile skill set that will allow him to line up at multiple spots in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
A look at the film
Hicks lined up inside the tackle box quite a bit during his time at Washington State, and this gave him the ability to roam the line of scrimmage and find ways to make plays.
His biggest strength is his ability to attack downhill, and his size and strength in finishing tackles to the ground should translate well to his game in the NFL.
Hicks was also used in multiple different blitz styles, and with good closing speed as well as decent pass rush moves against blocking running backs, he was able to find ways to stop quarterbacks.
The trend of putting taller or stronger players in the slot has quickly become popular throughout football because of the mismatches it can create for a defense. Hicks may not be best suited to take on a more traditional speed slot, but with his physicality and size, he is excellent to take on “powerful” or “tall” slot players.
Hicks does a great job tracking this ball in the air and fighting to get it away for the interception. Great physique to catch the ball and finish the play. pic.twitter.com/xSRcBqp7AO
– Caleb James (@CJScoobs) May 24, 2024
Ja’Lynn Polk lines up at Washington’s slot, selected by the New England Patriots with the 37th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and runs toward the sideline with Hicks lined up in front of him.
Hicks is cushioning in the middle, but when Polk starts to head toward the sideline and look for the ball, Hicks does a great job closing space and starting to track the ball himself. Polk will look for an acrobatic grab on the wing, but Hicks manages to turn his head and goes for the ball.
Showing off his physical nature, Hicks snatches the ball away from Polk and into his body, securing the interception.
Polk was one of the best receivers in college football in 2023, using his size and length to gain jumps against smaller defenders, but Hicks covered him and showed excellent competitive toughness to keep the ball.
How Hicks will fit with the Chiefs
Reid and Cook will be the Chiefs’ two starting safeties in 2024, but Hicks will likely have the opportunity to assume the role Edwards played last season.
Edwards was instrumental to the Chiefs’ defensive success, not only as a hawk who forced three turnovers, but also as a key depth piece and eventual starter once Cook went down with an injury.
While Hicks will have a chance to compete for this spot, he will also have to compete with promising second-year defensive back Chamarri Conner. More of a hybrid safety/corner guy, Conner is a player who could have a breakout season in his own right and will be there to provide quality competition for Hicks during organized team activities (OTAs) and training camp.
Hicks will eventually find the field in 2024, but from the start, he will likely be a key contributor on special teams and a backup defender as he learns Spagnolo’s system.
2024 is the final year of Reid’s contract with the Chiefs, and if the team decides not to re-sign him, this will open an opportunity for Hicks to compete for a starting job during the 2025 season.
During Brett Veach’s tenure as Chiefs general manager, he has used the draft heavily to build his secondary, and the selection of Hicks matches this philosophy.
In 2020, the Chiefs selected Snead with the 138th overall pick, and in 2024 they selected Hicks with the 133rd overall pick.
There is talent in every round of the NFL Draft, but what matters most is what teams do with the talent after the draft. Hicks meets the criteria the Chiefs look for in a defensive back, and now it’s up to them to find the best way to utilize him.
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