Bishop Gorman alum selected by Chiefs on Day 3 of 2024 NFL draft

Jaden Hicks knew his life would change when he left Las Vegas three years ago to attend college at Washington State.

He wasn’t prepared for the lack of culinary choices in Pullman, Washington, however.

“There’s really only like a McDonald’s and a Jack in the Box,” Hicks said, joking.

The decision proved to be wise for the Bishop Gorman alum otherwise.

Hicks, 21, was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday with the 133rd overall pick. The safety will try to help the Chiefs win three Super Bowls in a row.

“I wanted to go somewhere I could focus on football and focus on myself,” Hicks said of his decision to go to Washington State. “Coming from Las Vegas, it was a big culture shock. But that’s not what I was worried about or what my dreams were. My dream was to play football. So I went there to do that.”

Work in progress

Hicks gets to the point when providing his own scouting report.

“I’m one of the top safeties in the class,” he said. “I’m very confident in that.”

The tape backs that up.

Hicks is always around the ball and is willing to mix it up around the line of scrimmage. He can also match up in pass coverage and make plays on the ball downfield. He played cornerback for the Gaels in high school and that experience shows up on his film.

“Hicks can line up over the slot and high, but he is at his best playing close to the line of scrimmage,” ESPN draft analyst Steve Muench said in his evaluation. “He is effective matching up with backs and tight ends and dropping into underneath zone when he lines up at linebacker depth. Hicks is a rangy run-defender who fills gaps and flashes the ability to disrupt plays in the backfield. He also can pluck the ball out of the air and is competitive in 50-50 situations.”

It’s no surprise Hicks lists players like Derwin James and Ed Reed as role models given his scouting report.

But Hicks credits his brother Kalen with getting him to this point.

Hicks said his relationship to tackle football was “love at first sight” once he first put on pads at age 6. He then followed Kalen, who is four years older, every step of the way.

“He paved the way for me through this whole process and my whole career,” Hicks said of his brother, who has played in several pro leagues. “I have to give it to him.”

Following the path

Kalen Hicks played collegiately at Hawaii for coach Nick Rolovich.

That led to Jalen Hicks committing to Rolovich when the coach took the Washington State job. Hicks’ recruiting process was unusual because his senior season at Bishop Gorman was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

That prevented him from soaring up rankings. It also ended up being the Cougars’ gain.

Hicks redshirted his first year and decided to remain with Washington State when Jake Dickert replaced Rolovich.

His career then took off in 2022 when he started 11 games and led all Pac-12 freshmen with 76 tackles. He started to learn the intricacies of playing safety after being a corner in high school.

“You have to read everything, even the linemen and where they are pulling,” said Hicks, who has been lauded for his intelligence and maturity. “It was a bit of a struggle at first, but keeping my head down and continuing to work every day toward what I wanted to accomplish was the key. Once I got comfortable, that’s when my game changed and things took off.”

Hicks had two interceptions and six tackles for loss this season. That led to him declaring for the draft despite having eligibility remaining.

Hometown pride

Hicks’ decision to come out means he is in the same draft class as high school teammate Rome Odunze, a star wide receiver at Washington.

The matchups between the two in college in the Apple Cup rivalry were just a continuation of their practice battles with the Gaels. Hicks said Odunze is still the best player he’s ever lined up against.

He’s excited the two will go into the NFL together and add to the league’s growing list of players from Las Vegas.

“It’s awesome seeing guys you grew up playing with being successful,” Hicks said of a group that also includes Odunze’s college teammate and Liberty alum Troy Fautanu. “I’m really blessed to be around those type of people. It’s been a special time that we get to showcase and put on for Las Vegas.”

Hicks’ hometown is still important to him.

He partnered with Q30, a company that makes a device called a “Q-Collar” that’s designed to protect players in the event of head trauma, this month to distribute more than 100 pieces of its equipment to Bishop Gorman players.

“I feel like it’s different from what people think on the outside,” Hicks said of growing up in Las Vegas. “I made some great relationships with people. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

The NFL keeps learning about all the talented players in the area. Hicks is just the next in line.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.