The Kansas City Chiefs remade much of their defense for the 2026 season. Many young players are going to be thrust into vital roles throughout the campaign. In particular, the secondary is going to be largely different than what K.C. utilized the last few years.
That group was a point of emphasis to monitor during the Chiefs' first preseason game. Who stood out the most? Which items were more surprising involving the defensive backs? Here are four things that stood out from Kansas City's secondary during the first preseason outing.
Jaden Hicks flashes time and time again
Perhaps no defender made more plays for Kansas City than Jaden Hicks on Saturday. He tallied seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defensed. Hicks offered a quick, urgent trigger to the football. That helped to limit some rushing yards from the opposing offense early in the preseason opener. More importantly, he tackled with adequate form and did not whiff on those opportunities.
Hicks has teased versatile abilities in his career before. But getting consistently on the field in the regular season continues to be something he is chasing. He is now in his third season in the Chiefs' system. With so many changes in the defensive backfield, Hicks can look for that experience to carry him to more playing time. Outings like the one he had Saturday should help his case.
Kristian Fulton's heavy snap count
Kristian Fulton is one player who is hard to project when it comes to what the final 53-man roster may look like. A veteran piece who signed with Kansas City last year, injuries led to him missing valuable time in training camp last year. With a lack of time on task, his role never amounted to what many expected. His showings once he did get more playing time late last year were up and down.
Is Fulton an easy veteran cut candidate? Will he be able to stave off incoming competition to remain on the team? The answers are cloudier after the preseason opener.
Mainly, it was stunning to see how much playing time he actually received relative to other defensive backs. Fulton played in parts of a few quarters. They had him covering against the pass and crashing down near the line of scrimmage on run plays. Fulton even had reps on special teams. The high snap count leads one to assume he needs a strong finish to end training camp if he is going to stick with Kansas City.
One UDFA safety was more noticeable than others
There were two rookie undrafted free agent safeties who were worth watching for the most on Saturday. Xavier Nwankpa and DeShon Singleton offer two of the best cases to make the team after not being drafted. Can either safety stake their claim in the depth safety battle?
Arguably, Nwankpa was more noticeable of the two. The Iowa product got his nose around the football a fair amount. He also has a play style that can make a difference in final roster decisions within this regime. Nwankpa is an easy candidate to handle multiple roles on special teams.
His performance did not give him a massive leg up on Singleton. However, Nwankpa is trending in a fair direction among the UDFA safety options.
Jadon Canady displays raw rookie nature
Some Chiefs rookies popped off the screen more than others. Emmett Johnson already looked better than anything the team had at running back last season. And he still is not expected to handle a heavy workload this year. Cyrus Allen also carried a strong training camp into an impressive performance during the preseason opener.
As for defensive back Jadon Canady, the speed of the NFL game looked to be too daunting during his reps. The adjustment to the swiftness of the professional level certainly takes defensive backs time. Canady showed some late reactions to opposing route breaks. He was forced to chase opposing skill players down the sideline. And, at times, his angles to the football were questionable.
Canady will hope to improve while being a work in progress inside of a fascinating secondary. The rookie seeks a bounce-back performance in the Chiefs' next preseason game.
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