5. Bryan Cook, Safety
The Chiefs’ secondary took a hit to kick off this list, and it’s closing out the same way.
Trent McDuffie anchors the cornerbacks as a standout piece. The safety spot, though, lacks that same bedrock.
Justin Reid steadied the backfield last season. He excelled, shifting from the box to the slot to deep coverage with ease, his versatility fueling the Chiefs’ defensive sting. His playmaking kept the unit humming.
Now, Reid’s an unrestricted free agent, and his future’s murky. The Chiefs would snap him back up in a heartbeat, but their tight cap situation might block that dream.
Without Reid, safety depth crumbles. Jaden Hicks, a 2024 fourth-round pick, brings upside but remains green and untested after his rookie year.
That heaps pressure on Bryan Cook, a 2022 second-rounder. Cook started alongside Reid last season and floundered. PFF slotted him 69th out of 98 safeties—a rough mark for a supposed cornerstone.
The playoffs turned uglier. Quarterbacks feasted on him, torching him for five catches and 94 yards between the Divisional Round and Conference Championship. His coverage buckled when it mattered most.
The Chiefs aren’t sold on Cook’s 2024 showing. They could scour free agency for veterans to push him. Hicks, too, returns healthy and hungry, eyeing that starting gig.
Cook’s not guaranteed anything anymore—his spot’s up for grabs. After a shaky year, he’s on thin ice, as Kansas City weighs upgrades to fortify a secondary that can’t afford another slip.