The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up for a chance to make NFL history by going for an Super Bowl three-peat. To pull off that unprecedented feat, they may need rookies like fourth-round defensive back Jaden Hicks to contribute meaningfully.

Hicks spent most of his time at Washington State working as a safety, where he racked up 155 tackles, 10 pass breakups, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions over his final two seasons. It remains to be seen if he’ll have that same type of impact in the pros.

According to Ed Easton Jr. of Chiefs Wire, Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo plans to deploy the 6’2″, 211-pound Hicks at several different spots.

“One thing that sticks out about Jaden (Hicks) is he’s tall and long, and, yeah, he’s playing a bunch of different positions,” Spagnuolo said. “It’s kind of he’s going through what Chamarri Conner went through last year, where you’re trying to learn everything in the volume of the defense, and yet he’s not just learning one spot.”

Spagnuolo also noted that Hicks has been the main beneficiary of Justin Reid’s absence. With the veteran safety sidelined, Hicks has been stepping in to soak up most of those reps ahead of his rookie campaign.

While those practice sessions should help Hicks adapt to the NFL, the rookie may have a hard time finding a steady place in the Chiefs’ lineup on Sundays. As Spagnuolo mentioned, Chamarri Conner—a 2023 fourth-rounder—spent much of his first training camp learning Kansas City’s scheme before spending a majority of his playing time on special teams and logging only 305 defensive snaps as a rookie.

Barring a significant injury to Reid or another one of Kansas City’s key defensive backs, expect Hicks to play a depth role and mostly log snaps on special teams in 2024.

Verdict: Sell Hicks playing a major role for Kansas City as a rookie.