SAFETY DEPTH AND VERSATILITY
There's perhaps no defensive coordinator in the NFL who values the safety position more than Steve Spagnuolo. Despite safety not being considered the most valuable position in modern football, the Chiefs have invested heavily in it, using significant picks on the position in each of the past three drafts (Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner, and Jaden Hicks).
Justin Reid is one of the leaders of the defense, responsible for making reads and ensuring everyone in the secondary understands their assignments on any given play. He's also an effective blitzer, a quality highly valued by Spagnuolo.
Before a season-ending lower-body injury against the Packers, Bryan Cook was having a solid second NFL season. Although he's not a blitzer, he's been very effective against the run and solid in coverage.
Chamarri Conner was one of the most underrated players, let alone rookies, on the Chiefs last season. Though not the fastest player, he's well-rounded and played extremely well after the team lost Bryan Cook.
Beyond the top three, the Chiefs have depth with players like Deon Bush, who has excelled on special teams the last two years, Nazeeh Johnson, a special teams standout in 2022 who showed promise before tearing his ACL in July, and Jaden Hicks, a rookie widely regarded as a steal in the fourth round.
Not only are the Chiefs loaded at safety, but the players they have are versatile, allowing Steve Spagnuolo to call a multitude of defenses. Spagnuolo has everything he wants in his safety room.
Not only are the Chiefs loaded at safety, the guys they do have are versatile and allow Steve Spagnuolo to call a multitude of defenses. Spags has pretty much everything he wants in his safety room.