Two Chiefs 2024 Rookies Land on 'Best Picks' List

Kansas City secured some solid value on Day 3 of the draft, and Brett Veach is getting his flowers for it.

Nov 5, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Washington State Cougars defensive back Jaden Hicks (25) returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs' recent rookie classes have been nothing short of impressive, and general manager Brett Veach is receiving rave reviews for his performance yet again. After all, the reigning champs' 2024 NFL Draft class boasts a good blend of perceived floor and upside spanning all seven rounds.

A couple of Veach's Day 3 pickups, in particular, are being praised in the draft's aftermath.

In a recent article for ESPN, Field Yates singled out his "best picks" and "top steals." Listing five players for each round, Kansas City had two total rookies appear. Up first is fourth-round safety Jaden Hicks, who went 133rd overall.

"This was a value relative to my board, as Hicks checked in at 67th overall, a borderline second-round grade," Yates wrote. "Over the past two seasons, he had 700-plus snaps at safety, 200-plus snaps at outside linebacker, 150-plus snaps at inside linebacker and 150-plus snaps at slot cornerback, making him the only player in the Power 5 to do that over that span. Tight end and fellow fourth-rounder Jared Wiley was also a major value in my book. Kansas City's front office is as good as there is in the NFL for many reasons, one of which is consistency in the draft; this year's class profiles to be very good once again."

The Hicks pick generated plenty of buzz during draft weekend, as the Washington State prospect was ranked much higher on consensus draft boards. After the selection, Chiefs scout Greg Castillo admitted that he was "surprised" the versatile defensive back was available in round four. Nonetheless, he joins an already stacked safety depth chart and should do a little bit of everything once he catches on.

Second on the Yates list is C.J. Hanson, an interior offensive lineman who went in the seventh round. Yates is a big fan of the Holy Cross product's mindset on the field.

"Hanson is a small-school product out of Holy Cross, and he has very fluid movements pulling defensive linemen," Yates wrote. "My favorite part of Hanson's game is his temperament: He wants to finish every block he executes. At just 300 pounds, he'll work to add weight as he develops behind arguably the best interior offensive line in the league."

Hanson's story is an interesting one. Speaking over the weekend, the 248th overall pick admitted he didn't know whether the NFL was a real avenue for him until multiple weeks into his final collegiate season. After blowing the doors off the NFL Scouting Combine, though, he turned enough heads to garner some interest. Kansas City's hope is he develops into a quality backup early in his rookie deal.

Of course, Day 3 wasn't the only time Veach locked down a nice addition. In the draft's first two rounds, the Chiefs addressed their biggest needs by drafting wide receiver Xavier Worthy and offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia. Rounding out the haul with good later-round selections, though, helps support the next youth wave in Kansas City football.

Hicks and Hanson are great examples of that. A well-respected NFL mind singling out those picks is another win chalked up for a franchise growing all too familiar with them as of late.

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