Chiefs draft grade: Bryan Cook is ‘walking hit stick’ for KC secondary

Cincinnati safety Bryan Cook will be a “walking hit stick” for the Kansas City Chiefs secondary in the second round.

The Kansas City Chiefs stood pat with their original second-round pick at No. 62 overall selection and selected safety Bryan Cook, from the University of Cincinnati.

Cook is a guy who was a consensus 90-100 overall ranked player, but the Chiefs may have never had another chance at grabbing him if they didn’t take him at the bottom of the second. Although the signing of former Houston Texans safety Justin Reid in free agency helped with depth, there were still shoes to fill in the safety room. Cook does just that, and in a way that Chiefs Kingdom will love.

What we like

Although there are concerns around his overall speed and leverage in the open field, Bryan Cook seems to seek out the physical side of the game. No matter the accolades of his time in Kansas City, Tyrann Mathieu drew negative attention from Chiefs Kingdom for the way that his tackling seemed to taper off in his final year.

While there are some things to clean up with Cook, Chiefs fans will never have to worry about his willingness to lay the wood. This kid is a walking hit stick. Another extremely positive note is the role that he played in Cincinnati’s CFP run in the ’21-’22 season. He was in on 96 tackles, 5 for loss, recorded 1 sack, and hauled in 2 interceptions.

What we don’t like

Bryan Cook’s 14 games played in his final season at Cincinnati were the most that he played in a single season throughout his FBS career (started his collegiate career at Howard University in the FCS). The sample size is smaller than some may be comfortable with, and with the concerns around his vertical speed and finishing ability on tackles, he will have plenty to prove at the next level.

It is surely believed amongst the Chiefs’ brass that Bryan Cook is a stout addition to a Steve Spagnuolo scheme, and if the chip on his shoulder is as big as it appears to be, he ought to eventually shine in K.C.

Grade: B