‘Great upside’… Dave Merritt speaks highly of his two new rookie defensive backs

Add as preferred source on Google

The Kansas City Chiefs are building not just for the short but the long term and their new defensive backs are having to get up to speed with the demands of Dave Merritt.

In April, the Chiefs attacked the 2024 NFL Draft in explosive style by trading with the Buffalo Bills for Xavier Worthy.

Offensive pieces Kingsley Suamataia and Jared Wiley joined the project but they soon turned their attention to the defense.

Kansas City Chiefs decided to let L’Jarius Sneed walk and keep Chris Jones

The Kansas City Chiefs were backed into a corner with two options because of cap space problems. The first option was to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed, recoup draft capital, and tie Chris Jones down to a new deal.

Moreover, the franchise could have risked letting Sneed become a free agent and tried to come to a short-term agreement. However, the franchise opted to let Sneed seek a trade with Jones getting the extension that the cornerback had hoped for.

Sneed’s departure to the Tennessee Titans meant the franchise had to search for roster depth in the secondary and address the ordeal in the fourth round. General Manager Brett Veach selected Washington State product Jaden Hicks and picked Kamal Hadden in the sixth round.

Hicks arrived as a promising safety and Kamal Hadden has joined cornerback heaven in Missouri.

The franchise has successfully molded Trent McDuffie into a First-Team All-Pro in his rookie season and crafted Sneed into one of the top cornerbacks in the league.

Dave Merritt described Jaden Hicks as a ‘prototype’ safety

Dave Merritt deserves much of the credit for the talent produced and spoke about the new rookies under his wing.

“I’ll tell you what, these two young me (Hicks and Hadden) are swimming, like Dori, just keep swimming because we’ve thrown the entire playbook at them,” Merrit said at Justin Reid’s charting golf tournament.

“So, Hadden is a young man who just got out of Tennessee, nice long corner who is, hopefully, going to be able to help us out on special teams.

“Hicks out of Washington State has a great upside, he is a prototype safety. Both of the young men have come in… and done a wonderful job.”

Merrit is full of positivity about the two rookies and they are hopeful they can reach the heights expected

Merritt was full of praise about the two rookies when questioned at Justin Reid‘s charity golfing tournament.

Hicks and Hadden will see the heights their predecessors have reached and will be confident they can replicate the same level.

Furthermore, the rookies have been getting up to speed with the Chiefs’ playbook and Merritt has exposed them to all the schemes; leaving no stone unturned.