Veteran safety Justin Reid is one of the most senior players on the Kansas City Chiefs defense and seems primed for a huge 2023 campaign as the team looks to defend its newly won Super Bowl title. He will be tasked with leading a secondary that is chock-full of youthful talent that has the potential to blossom into a valuable asset for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Asked for his assessment of the younger defensive backs on Kansas City’s roster after practice on Sunday, Reid went in-depth on each of the team’s first and second-year players.
“I’m going to start with the second-year players, start with my partner in crime Bryan Cook. I mean [the] guy is a baller, very cerebral player, probably the loudest communicator on the defense out of the DBs,” Reid explained. “You love to have that – a vocal guy that’s confident in the back end. All the young guys – Trent McDuffie, Jaylen (Watson), J-Will (Joshua Williams), Nazeeh Johnson all (are) doing an amazing job.
“The [first-year] young guys coming in Isaiah [Norman], Ekow [Boye-Doe]. These guys, they have their ears wide open. They’re humble, they’re willing to learn. Spags’ [Steve Spagnuolo] system is not easy but they’re willing to put in the work and we have good veterans in the room willing to lead them along and teach them.”
Watch for Reid to continue mentoring these players as training camp moves along, especially Bryan Cook, who the veteran seems to have taken under his wing in the early phase of the new season. With his help, the Chiefs’ up-and-coming secondary could prove to be among the NFL’s best by the end of their 2023 campaign.