Chiefs safety Bryan Cook could be on his way to doing big things
The Kansas City Chiefs sophomore safety is in for a big second season if what one of his teammates is saying is true.Last offseason the Chiefs drafted a whole bunch of guys to play in their secondary, and all of them did play, and some of them made big-time plays in big-time games. One of […]
The Kansas City Chiefs sophomore safety is in for a big second season if what one of his teammates is saying is true.
Last offseason the Chiefs drafted a whole bunch of guys to play in their secondary, and all of them did play, and some of them made big-time plays in big-time games. One of those guys who probably doesn't get enough love is Bryan Cook, as he heads into his second season with an even bigger role than before.
With Juan Thornhill in Cleveland now, Cook will likely be the starting safety. But, that isn't the only way his role is expanding, as he will look to be somewhat of a leader in 2023 too.
“Yeah, ever since he was a rookie, I could tell he had confidence about him, (the) ability just to talk. If he’s 100% wrong, he makes you believe he’s 100% right (laughter)," linebacker Nick Bolton said. "So, that’s the confidence you need to have in the back end and we’re loving that. So, he’s growing. You can tell he’s put a lot of work in the offseason, Phase 1, Phase 2 and now leading into this Phase 3. Being able to echo calls, get guys lined up, and even if we’re trying to show something, we’re doing wrong, he’ll make sure we know about it. So, we love that. Willie’s (Gay) liking that too. We love the competition he brings.”
Cook is a guy who will lead, even when he doesn't need to because of the guys around him like Justin Reid and L'Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs don't need him to do that, but why not have more leaders?
The Chiefs ran some three safety sets last season with Bryan Cook, Thornhill, and Reid. Whether it's big dime or big nickel, they like to have three safeties on the field, and we know that Steve Spagnuolo, the defensive coordinator, likes to use multiple defensive backs in many different areas on defense.
This season Mike Edwards will be thrown in the role Cook was in last year, which is another reason this season is so crucial for Cook. Stepping up and being a leader shows the coaches that he is already, and that he deserves more paying time than possibly sharing a ton of it with Edwards.
We saw his game develop last season as the year went on. He went from not playing a whole lot, to making a huge tipped pass in the AFC Championship game that led to an interception. He made plays in the Super Bowl too. The Chiefs love that and will be looking for even more of that in 2023.
Bryan Cook could be in for a big year with the roles he will have in 2023.
Featured Image Via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
