Getty Former Washington State safety Jaden Hicks.
With the 133rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Washington State safety Jaden Hicks.
Though Hicks isn’t projected to be an immediate starter for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, he was named the biggest steal of the 2024 NFL Draft by Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis.
“S Jaden Hicks (4th round) was their biggest steal. Out of 101 consensus big boards curated by @ArifHasanNFL Hicks was the 67th best prospect in the draft,” Sharp wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on April 27. “Despite a solid performance at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Hicks slid all the way to No. 133.”
What will warm Chiefs Kingdom’s heart is knowing that pick 133 came from the Buffalo Bills in the trade that gave Kansas City the 28th overall pick in the Draft, which the Chiefs used to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy. So not only did Buffalo help the Chiefs draft Worthy, but they also helped their AFC rival land arguably the best safety prospect in this year’s draft class.
Jaden Hicks is a Versatile Safety That Stuffed the Stat Sheet in College
Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 211 pounds, as a redshirt sophomore, Hicks finished the 2023 season with 79 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 pass breakups, 2.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 touchdown, according to the Washington State athletics website. He also had a career-high 34 defensive stops, which ranked fifth among Power 5 safeties, according to PFF.
Trevor Sikkema of PFF called Hicks the most versatile safety in this year’s draft class in an article in which he dished out superlatives for the safety class.
“Hicks is just one of the best safeties in this draft. He has played more than 1,500 snaps over the last two years and did not record a categorical grade (overall, run defense, pass rush, coverage) below 70.0,” Sikkema wrote on March 29. “He can be used as a free safety or a strong safety in single high or two-deep coverage shells. His missed tackles could get better, but his solo stops and tackles for loss both took a major jump forward in 2023. He’s a confident, smart safety with a good blend of size, speed and agility.”
The Chiefs recognized Hicks’ versatility as a helpful tool for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, which is why they were surprised and excited that they were able to draft the Washington State product.
“I was surprised, and I’m happy he did,” Chiefs regional scout Greg Castillo said on April 27 of Hicks falling to Kansas City in the Draft. “He fell to us and I think with Spags and Donald (D’Alesio), they’re going to utilize his skill set very well. He’s very versatile. He can play at the linebacker depth, he can play the deep middle free safety, he can play half, he can play quarters, and he did that at Washington State too. He can do a lot, and he can do a lot effectively. That’s what we’re looking for.”
Chiefs’ 2024 Draft Class Finalized
Here is a list of the Chiefs’ entire 2024 draft class:
- Round 1, Pick 28: Texas WR Xavier Worthy
- Round 2, Pick 65: LSU OT Kingsley Suamataia
- Round 4, Pick 131: TCU TE Jared Wiley
- Round 4, Pick 133: Washington State S Jaden Hicks
- Round 5, Pick 159: Penn State C Hunter Nourzad
- Round 6, Pick 211: Tennessee CB Kamal Hadden
- Round 7, Pick 248: Holy Cross OG CJ Hanson