In the 2022 NFL Draft, The Kansas City Chiefs had four picks in the first two rounds for the first time in team history. Trading a superstar player like Tyreek Hill will get that kind of return for a team, and the Chiefs needed to capitalize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to get younger and cheaper as the Super Bowl window has been propped open with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Andy Reid leading the team from the sidelines.
After selecting a cornerback (Trent McDuffie), defensive end (George Karlaftis) and wide receiver (Skyy Moore), general manager Brett Veach decided to go back to the defensive side of the ball with his fourth pick.
The Chiefs selected Bryan Cook, a safety who started his college career at Howard University before finishing at the University of Cincinnati. Cook played cornerback at Howard and appeared in an impressive 21 games there. He picked up 93 tackles including five for loss, logged two forced fumbles and fumble recoveries and added 17 passes defended and two interceptions. During his redshirt season at Cincinnati, Cook transitioned from cornerback to safety. In his final season with the Bearcats, he had 96 tackles, a sack, nine passes defended and two interceptions.
The Chiefs decided the 2022 draft would be a good time to revamp their secondary. Looking back to that offseason, there was the loss of former All-Pro safety Tryan Mathieu and the impending free agency of another safety on the roster, Juan Thornhill, in 2023. The addition of veteran safety Justin Reid made it possible that Cook wouldn’t be forced into a starting role from day one. The foresight from Veach in taking Cook was brilliant, making sure the roster wouldn’t have any glaring holes in the future while also giving the team depth for whatever the 2022 season would bring.
Cook showed a lot of promise throughout training camp and during preseason games. He wasn’t a starter but saw the field plenty on both special teams and as part of the secondary rotation throughout the season. There were times when he made rookie mistakes, including a couple of big pass interference penalties, some personal foul penalties and blown coverage on a long Davante Adams touchdown in a home win against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Along with those rookie learning curves, though, there were positive developments as well. Cook finished the regular season with 33 tackles, including 22 solo tackles and two passes defended. What was really exciting for Chiefs fans was seeing his play step up when the playoffs rolled around. Cook had his best game of the season in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, getting four solo tackles and one pass that was deflected to teammate and fellow rookie Joshua Williams for an interception in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs would go on to win that game and, ultimately, the Super Bowl.
How can Cook make a jump this year? Continuing to get more playing time and potentially becoming a starter would be a good start. It won’t be without competition, however. Yes, Thornhill did exit in free agency and it should be Cook who is the front-runner to replace him, but he will need to earn it. If Cook takes over the starting role, it wouldn't be surprising to see a big jump in his statistical numbers. Getting up to 60 tackles, tripling his passes broken up number and getting his first interception should all be on the radar for the 2023 season.
Cook has all the makings to have a big second-year jump. Taking advantage of his opportunities and making plays when given the chance will give the Chiefs another weapon in the secondary to make a push at repeating as AFC and Super Bowl champions.
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