The Kansas City Chiefs acquired Zacch Pickens as a developmental player, but now they've drafted DT Peter Woods
The hunt for buried football treasure via the NFL waiver wire is an ongoing process, and one team’s discards can turn into another team’s treasures. The New York Giants are hoping that’s the case with Chiefs defensive tackle Zacch Pickens as they claimed him off waivers, according to a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk via the NFL waiver wire.
This move probably won’t cause weeping and the gnashing of teeth in the Chiefs’ front office, however. Pickens appeared in three games with Kansas City last season, and he recorded just five total tackles.
Pickens does have some college credentials, however. The Chicago Bears originally selected Pickens back in 2023, and he appeared in 23 games for Chicago in his first two seasons, according to Simmons. His career numbers in the NFL to date include 44 total tackles with two tackles for loss, four QB hits, and 1.5 sacks.
Pickens came out of South Carolina, where he was named the team’s defensive MVP in 2022 as a senior. His stats weren’t gaudy there, either, but he was considered a valuable presence due to his consistency and leadership skills.
The defensive tackle showed flashes with the Bears, but not enough to stick around. He was cut by the Bears last season, and after that he was signed to their practice squad, then promoted to the active roster.
But the Chiefs just added a prominent defensive tackle in the draft, selecting Peter Woods with their second first-round pick. Woods is expected to beef up the interior of Kansas City’s defensive line and help free up tackle Chris Jones from constant double teams, which in turn would help the Chiefs’ pass rush.
There is controversy here, however. Woods underperformed at Clemson last year, according to multiple report, and the Clemson defense struggled at times as well. In some ways Woods is a typical late first-round pick, i.e., he has the measurables and potential to become a star, but Woods also comes with enough flaws that he may not realize that potential.
The key to this selection is Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Kansas City went defense-first in the draft, selecting cornerback Mansoor Delaney, Woods and edge rusher R Mason Thomas to address all three levels of the defense. The Chiefs gave up a lot of draft capital to move up and take Delane, and it will be up to Spagnuolo to put all this together into a unit that can get off the field more than last year’s defense did.