The Kansas City Chiefs have plenty of needs in the secondary this offseason. While it was nice to see a surge from Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams as perhaps the lone bright spot at the end of the year, there are still lots of questions to be answered. Bryan Cook, Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson, Joshua Williams, and possibly Trent McDuffie could all be hitting the free agent market.
With some of the reluctance to play Jaden Hicks in 2025, the safety position could need a major overhaul in 2026. Chamarri Conner played much more true safety in 2025 and looked much improved there over slot corner, but there needs to be an injection of youth into the secondary.
Steve Spagnuolo likes his safeties to be rangy and athletic, having them be versatile pieces of the defense that can play in the box, as a single-deep safety, or as a two-high safety. He also likes them big enough to step up and support the run and be impact blitzers. Enter A.J. Haulcy, a player who fits that profile.
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AJ Haulcy | SAF | 5-11 220 LBS.
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) January 19, 2026
Absolute DAWG, versatile piece can play deep or in the box. Nice range and athlete at his size. Good eyes and pursuit angles, 10 career INT and elite 88.6 PFF coverage grade. Some missed tackle issues.
Shades of: Bryan Cook pic.twitter.com/gsSNchQ36v
NFL Draft Profile: A.J. Haulcy, Safety, LSU
Age: 22 (on draft day)
Height: 5-11 (listed)
Weight: 222 LBS. (listed)
Tape Exposure: Clemson (2025), Alabama (2025), Texas A&M (2025)
Shades of: Bryan Cook
A.J. Haulcy's background
Adari “A.J.” Haulcy grew up in Missouri City, Texas, and attended Thurgood Marshall High School, where he played high school football. He was ranked a three-star prospect by 247 Sports and committed to New Mexico. After one season, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Houston, where he played for two seasons. After the 2024 season, he entered the portal again as a four-star prospect and the No. 3 safety in the transfer class. He committed to LSU for his senior season, logging three interceptions and finishing as one of the top safeties in PFF coverage grade for 2025.
Assessing A.J. Haulcy's strengths
Ball Skills
In four years as a starter, Haulcy tallied 10 interceptions and 19 passes defended. He reads the ball well and is quick to break on it. He is fairly sure-handed and does a nice job with the ball in his hands as a returner as well.
Versatility
Haulcy has been a weapon for an improved LSU defense. He took over 480 snaps as a deep safety and 134 snaps in the box. At 220 lbs., he has the size to play close to the line of scrimmage. He’s a plus athlete, which helped him take over 80 snaps as a slot corner as well. His instincts help him play multiple roles on a defense.
Dawg Mentality
Haulcy is the type of safety that loves to hit. He makes receivers hesitate before catching a pass over the middle of the field. He makes an impact at the tackle point and has knocked several catches free by laying the thump at the catch point. He loves to celebrate with teammates and brings an alpha mentality you love to see on a defense.
Acknowledging A.J. Haulcy's weaknesses
Missed Tackles
At times, his eyes can get a little bigger than his stomach. He gets eager to make a big splash tackle and is then caught out of position. At times, he opts for an arm tackle that leads to missed tackles. His 15.8% missed tackle rate would be one of the higher missed tackle rates in the Chiefs’ secondary.
Top End Speed
Haulcy might not have the top-end speed needed to be a true single-high deep safety on a routine basis. He does a nice job adjusting his angles to compensate, but short-area quickness and top-end speed can get him in trouble.
Limited as a Blitzer
Spagnuolo loves a safety who can blitz, but Haulcy hasn’t been particularly effective in this role. With just five pressures in his college career, he hasn’t been a weapon in that area. Some guys just have that top-end closing speed rushing the passer, and he hasn’t been able to show that.
How does A.J. Haulcy fit the Chiefs?
Can the Chiefs run out a safety room in 2026 of Chamarri Conner, Jaden Hicks, and A.J. Haulcy? That’s a highly athletic and versatile group, but also pretty youthful and raw. It really felt like the Chiefs wanted to see a bigger step taken by Jaden Hicks in 2025. Haulcy makes a lot of sense if you see a return of Bryan Cook or the addition of a veteran safety who can stabilize the room. There’s a lot to like about his game long-term, and he has a chance to be the next Spagnuolo weapon.
A.J. Haulcy is a versatile, tone-setting safety with plus ball skills. He has the size and coverage ability that make him a weapon in a modern NFL defense. With limited long speed and missed tackles as the primary concerns, he profiles as a Day 2 pick who can be a key contributor quickly.
Round Grade: Red Chip (3rd round grade)