There are 5 video games within the books — with 12 extra to go. The Kansas City Chiefs are taking their bye week in Week 6, so it’s time to dish out some midseason awards.
The Arrowhead Pleasure writing employees members every had one vote for our seven midseason awards. There are 10 contributors voting, so there will likely be 10 votes tallied for every award. On this publish, we’ll reveal our prime defensive rookie so far of the season.
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Photograph by Cooper Neill/Getty Pictures
VOTING: S Jaden Hicks (9), P Matt Araiza (1)
Pickings are slim this season when contemplating who’s the most effective rookie on the Chiefs defensive — however that shouldn’t come as a shock for a championship-caliber protection that returned eight of its 11 starters from Super Bowl LVIII, and one of many gamers who departed was security Mike Edwards, who was filling in for an injured Bryan Prepare dinner.
In reality, the Chiefs returned 9 starters from final season, with the one departures being linebacker Willie Homosexual Jr. and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Each have been at positions the place the Chiefs had good depth with battle-tested veterans who might step in and take their place.
Not fairly working unopposed— however virtually
Other than Hicks, the one different rookie defender who’s at present on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster is undrafted rookie free-agent cornerback Chris Rolland-Wallace. But when we’re taking a look at which Chiefs rookie defender has proven essentially the most promise this season and figures to have the most effective likelihood of incomes snaps down the highway, it’s Hicks by a landslide.
Hicks confirmed his playmaking skill within the preseason, and if Justin Reid or Prepare dinner have been to overlook prolonged time, you’d be ok with him stepping in and holding his personal.
The previous fourth-round choice has logged 110 snaps this season, with 97 of these being on particular groups, the remaining 13 have been on protection. Hicks has logged three tackles within the 5 video games he has appeared in.
Professional Soccer Focus gave Hicks a 65.6 total grade with a 63.7 run protection grade and a 61.3 protection grade. Hicks has but to see a goal thrown his method as knowledgeable, however in 2023 whereas enjoying for the Washington State Cougars, he allowed completions on 20 out of 31 targets, intercepting two passes and registering 4 move breakups.
The most effective is but to return
The spotlight of Hicks’ profession thus far got here off the sphere, as Chiefs normal supervisor Brett Veach revealed that New Orleans Saints security Tyrann Mathieu texted him to say that he thought Hicks was a superb participant.
Solely time will inform if Hicks’ play on the sphere will validate Mathieu’s reward and this prestigious award. If I’m a betting man (and I’m,) I really feel fairly good about dropping a stack of payments on Hicks panning out and being nearly as good as we predict he will likely be.
They are saying, “Gown just like the job you need, not the one you may have.”
Possibly the identical goes for taking part in soccer.
