The Kansas City Chiefs will kick off training camp this week, and with it a new season!
Chiefs’ safety Jaden Hicks will enter his third camp with Kansas City, playing under the radar of the coaching staff so far in his career. Through his first three seasons, Hicks has been a role player, often used in Nickel situations and as a box safety against teams using heavier personnel. He has shown flashes, but so far they have been inconsistent.
Hicks will likely start camp in competition with Chammari Conner
for the Chiefs’ starting strong safety, but he should look to see his role grow, especially with his versatility and how much defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo tends to line up his safeties all across the field.
Hicks has the skill set to be a tremendous “big Nickel” and should be a playmaker for the Chiefs’ defense in 2026.
A look at the film
Playing as a traditional strong safety, Hicks is at his best when he can get rolling downhill quickly and make a play on the ball. With good size and length, he has the physicality needed to compete with tight ends and contest catches when the ball is thrown in his direction.
On the snap, Hicks quickly reads the out route from the tight end and bursts toward the flat. As the tight end prepares to catch the pass, Hicks makes a great play to knock his hands down, runs through contact, and forces an incomplete pass.
Hicks is at his best when defending the flats and other areas around the line of scrimmage.
Playing from a deep position, Hicks does a great job of reading the tight end’s quick route to the flat and times his route perfectly. The tight end makes the catch, but Hicks makes a perfect form tackle and drops him behind the sticks.
Hicks is a natural downhill thumper, and this helps him against plays designed to go to the flats, but he shows this skill set best when he can line up in the box and make plays on ball carriers.
On the goal line, Hicks is lined up in the box, and a pre-snap motion moves him with the play. The quarterback shows the ball to the motion player, but quickly pulls it. Hicks is initially out of position due to the motion, but he quickly recovers and takes aim at the quarterback.
With a good angle, he delivers a big hit as the quarterback attempts to go for the pile on. The hit is enough to keep him short of the end zone and displays Hicks’ natural ability to play in the box.
In Spagnuolo’s defense, Hicks will always have a role as the box safety or big Nickel, but if he can continue to improve, he should see more consistent snaps as a true strong safety.
Where to improve
While Hicks is a good man-to-man defender and a good downhill safety, he still has room to improve in zone coverage and when defending passes downfield.
A larger defensive back, Hicks can struggle at times with lateral quickness and the ability to recover downfield.
Hicks is playing shallow in a hybrid box look on the snap. Recognizing a pass, he keys in on the tight end and begins to drop into coverage.
The tight end initially heads outside, but quickly plants his foot and breaks to the inside. Hicks is caught off guard by the quick break, and transitions too slowly to catch up to the tight end. The quarterback throws a good ball, and it is a decent pickup for the offense.
Hicks’ lack of quickness when transitioning in coverage has limited him, and his overall lack of chase-down speed does limit him in pass coverage, which has so far in his career kept him plugged in as the team’s box safety on regular downs.
Hicks could be close to breaking through as the team’s full-time starting strong safety, but during training camp and preseason, he must hone his downfield coverage skills and show improvement in route recognition.
The bottom line
While his physical traits help him to play well in the flats and around the line of scrimmage, they also hurt Hicks’ game when he is asked to cover against long patterns downfield or play tight man coverage.
Hicks will be 24 by the time the 2026 season kicks off, and in Year 3, he is no longer a spring chicken by NFL standards.
He is still at an age where adding athleticism is possible, but for Hicks to progress in his career, the key will be to hone his fundamentals and continue to put himself in good spots against the downfield passing game. The Chiefs need a good season from Hicks, and a good season would help him solidify himself as the team’s everyday starting safety.
