Brett Veach identified 2 mighty matches for Chiefs’ secondary on Day three

Getting into the weekend of the 2024 NFL Draft, the safety position became one of the ultimate instructions enthusiasts idea the Chiefs would go to tackle the defense. It turned into challenging to think about a scenario the place the group drafted safeguard before one other place below the teachings of protective coordinator Steve Spagunolo.

after which, Of path, that happened on Saturday throughout circular 4 of the draft.

The Chiefs had already spent three picks on offense; by the 133rd ordinary alternative, the defense become due, and one player stood out above the relaxation on the team's draft board: Washington State security Jaden Hicks.

There became no secret to what made Chiefs' conventional supervisor Brett Veach pull the set off on Hicks. Some draft specialists ranked him as the appropriate-graded safeguard within the entire class.

"The value turned into too exceptional there," Veach shared with newshounds all through a Zoom name on Monday afternoon. "this is where you simply want to stay true to your board and take the most excellent participant available."

Dane Brugler of The Athletic listed Hicks because the quantity-one participant in his safeguard rankings, citing his range and playmaking as a motive to be confident within the prospect. Veach shared that Hicks is a "smart, excessive player," pointing to those characteristics as a cause special teams coordinator Dave Toub can be excited to make use of him.

That changed into the case for young safeties Bryan cook and Chamarri Conner when they had been drafted as neatly. each has proven to be a key piece to particular groups and has shown flashes of an extra ceiling as a protecting playmaker.

Neither had been regarded at the good of their class (like Hicks was), and that knowledge become too plenty for Veach to pass up on.

"From a ability standpoint and an extended-time period planning point of view, he become too decent of a player to pass up," Veach asserted. "he is a guy for you to do loads of various things with: he's a large kid, he has decent latitude, he's physical, he can play down low within the container, and he can play in the returned conclusion... he changed into by some distance the choicest player accessible."

image by using John Fisher/Getty photographs

Two rounds later, the Chiefs selected one more prospect some regarded slipping down the board: cornerback Kamal Hadden from Tennessee. Kansas metropolis used the 211th alternative on him, bringing in yet another Day three draft prefer to the community of outdoor cornerbacks combating for snaps within the wake of buying and selling L'Jarius Sneed.

Even at 6'1" and 196 lbs., Hadden doesn't have the identical intimidating size that previous Chiefs picks like Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson have — but he has the play trend Veach sees as a robust fit.

"Hadden became a man that we focused there Day 3," Veach admitted. "hard, actual kid; I feel he has a pretty good press ability set. i like the manner he performs. The one factor we prioritize in that protecting backfield is not just dimension however physicality; he'll certainly convey that."

After an October 2023 game, Hadden underwent season-ending surgical procedure on his shoulder, might be impacting his draft stock.

That could make each he and Hicks price picks for the Chiefs, carrying on with the fashion of how Kansas city has developed a robust secondary. four years in the past, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed changed into undervalued, then maximized by the Chiefs' coaching team of workers. much less excessive examples like Williams and Watson have already justified their decisions.

At security, the room may believe crowded — but veteran Justin Reid is entering the last year of his contract, sitting in an identical position as former Chiefs' protection Tyrann Mathieu turned into getting into the 2021 season.

Kansas city allowed Mathieu to stroll and has constructed the position to resist Reid's leaving as smartly. The ahead-considering mindset is how championship groups aren't simplest built however sustained.