How Kansas City Chiefs teammates have seen rookie Bryan Cook evolve in recent weeks
Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill says rookie Bryan Cook initially wasn’t very vocal during his first days of training camp.
That’s changed, though, as the team’s second-round safety has become more comfortable.
“Now he’s taking the leadership role when he’s on the field. Like if he’s out there with the 2s or the 1s, I always notice him making the calls,” Thornhill said Tuesday. “And that’s a good thing with a rookie being able to just step up and take leadership like that.”
Though rookies have been one of the biggest storylines of Chiefs’ training camp, Cook hasn’t always been a large part of that discussion.
Teammates, though, believe the perception of him could change quickly. Cook — the 62nd overall pick out of Cincinnati — was the third safety in the team’s third-down package in the last preseason game against Washington. While in, he helped contribute to a pair of stops that forced punts.
“Bryan is a very smart player, super cerebral guy, also very physical,” Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. “And he’s going to help us win a lot of football games this year.”
Cook, for his part, says it’s still taking him a while to process that he’d made it to the NFL, and this is his reality.
After the Washington game Saturday, he spoke in the locker room about being grateful for his opportunity.
“Every day in practice, I’m like, ‘Bro, we get paid for this? This is dope,’” Cook said with a smile. “Obviously, it’s a job. You have to take that into consideration and understand the high stakes of it. But it’s a blessing. I’ve been doing this since I was 4 years old, and I couldn’t ask for anything else to do in the world.”
Playing alongside Reid and Thornhill, Cook says, has helped him. He described Reid as an “energetic bowling ball” while believing those three have the potential to give opposing offenses many different looks.
“I’m trying to just match their energy, if not create my own,” Cook said.
He seems to have accomplished that — especially lately. Two weeks ago, Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt called Cook “The Energizer Bunny” based off his enthusiasm on the sideline and during drills.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, meanwhile, likened Cook to first-round draft pick George Karlaftis, saying both were eager to soak up information to get better.
Cook should also play a role on KC’s special teams; he made a highlight play in the preseason opener against Chicago with an open-field tackle on punt coverage.
Long term, though, the Chiefs invested a second-round pick with the hope he’ll have a much bigger impact with a developing defense. The Chiefs’ first-team defensive unit, it should be noted, has allowed no points during three preseason drives.
“We’re all young. We’re all trying to learn each other out,” Cook said. “For what we have now, it’s definitely exciting to see.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
