The Kansas City Chiefs are likely feeling good about their incoming rookie class these days. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but for a team with later selections than anyone in almost every round, the Chiefs were celebrated following the draft by almost every media outlet for their overall haul and draft value.
The Chiefs selected seven players overall in the 2024 NFL Draft class and traded up twice in the first two rounds to land top selections like wide receiver Xavier Worthy out of Texas and offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia from BYU.
The Chiefs got positive grades all around, but one pick in particular was listed among the biggest overall steals in the 2024 NFL Draft.
One draft pick in particular, however, is the one drawing rave reviews as a "draft steal" by several analysts and Pro Football Focus has labeled it as one of the biggest draft steals overall: the fourth-round selection of safety Jaden Hicks.
The Chiefs came into the fourth round with nearly consecutive picks at No. 131 and 133 overall and used the first on TCU tight end Jared Wiley. After one more pick was made, the Chiefs halted the drop of one of the best players remaining on the draft board long after draftniks thought he would would be taken.
Here's what Pro Football Focus had to say about the Chiefs' selection of Hicks:
"The Chiefs got great value compared to both the PFF big board and the consensus board, adding a downhill safety with a nasty mentality and some positional versatility. Hicks racked up 34 defensive stops in 2023, which ranked fifth among Power Five safeties, to go along with two interceptions and four forced incompletions. He gives defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo another chess piece to work with in the secondary."
For the Chiefs, Hicks represented low positional value given the talent they already have on their roster. Justin Reid and Bryan Cook are penciled in as the starters and Chamarri Conner is waiting in the wings as a future starter and current third safety. The Chiefs also have plenty of young versatile talent to compete with Deon Bush for the fourth safety spot, including Nazeeh Johnson—last year's preseason sensation.
However, Hicks' availability was too great to pass up at the bottom of the fourth round. The Chiefs have trusted similarly talented safeties to start from Week 1 before, which means the Chiefs are stacking two potential starters below the ones they currently have. It might be an overload in the short term but given the fact that Reid is in a contract year, the Chiefs are now well-positioned to handle most scenarios at safety for years to come.