Jan 7, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) reacts after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City Chiefs 2023 Roster Preview: Safeties Entering Training Camp
Coming out of the 2021-22 season, the Kansas City Chiefs made a tough decision and allowed Tyrann Mathieu to depart via free agency. This sent a clear message that change was coming to the safety position, and the signing of Justin Reid set the tone for what turned out to be an interesting year for the group in 2022-23.
Veteran Juan Thornhill served as the other primary starter alongside Reid in the defensive backfield, providing solid play throughout the season. He's now a Cleveland Brown, but the cupboard is far from bare after some depth insulation. Additionally, one key returning player is expected to jump up the depth chart and play a larger role this coming season after a successful spring and summer.
As 2023 Chiefs training camp comes into focus, Arrowhead Report will be previewing each of the team's position groups. This precedes a roster projection once training camp is in full swing, allowing for in-depth analysis and observations of the roster general manager Brett Veach has put together. The series continues with safeties.
The starters: Justin Reid and Bryan Cook
Reid's first year as a Chief got off to a bit of a bumpy start, but he admitted in June that he didn't feel truly comfortable in the Chiefs' defense until just after the team's Week 13 regular-season game against the Cincinnati Bengals. A quick look at his Pro Football Focus grades from last season backs that up, and it would be reasonable to expect something closer to that to be his baseline in year No. 2 in the system.
Speaking of a second year in the system, there may not be more than a couple bigger hinge pieces for Kansas City on defense this year than Bryan Cook. Taken in the second round of last year's NFL Draft, the former Cincinnati standout logged 33 tackles and two passes broken up on a 32% snap share on defense. Cook is projected to assume Thornhill's starting role on defense, and the Chiefs should find out relatively early on whether their investment in him as a future core defensive piece was worthwhile or not.
The backups: Mike Edwards and Chamarri Conner
Kansas City signed Edwards to (likely) become the Cook of 2022: safety three on the depth chart. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer has a penchant for making plays on the ball and although he got asked to do a bit too much last season, reverting back to a part-time role could bring out the best of him once again. Conner has drawn plenty of praise since being selected in the fourth round this year, and his versatility could let him get in the picture if the numbers game or injuries allow it. Camp will provide more clarity.
The intriguing pieces: Nazeeh Johnson, Deon Bush and Anthony Cook
A year ago, the Chiefs took Johnson at the end of their draft and subsequently played him on 96% of the team's special teams in the games he was active for (11). Special teams coordinator Dave Toub is very fond of him as a "gunner," so he should latch onto the end of the roster in some capacity either at safety or maybe even at cornerback. Bush is a tricky projection and he absolutely could miss out on making the roster altogether, but he's a key special teams piece with some prior experience in the defense as well. Counting him all the way out of the rotation here doesn't seem smart just yet. Cook, a rookie undrafted free agent out of Texas, is a competitive camp body.
