Former South Carolina defender signs with new NFL team

On Thursday, former South Carolina defensive lineman Zacch Pickens found a new home in the NFL. Pickens, who had been waived by the Chicago Bears earlier in the week, has been signed by the Kansas City Chiefs and is expected to report to the team’s practice squad, per an announcement from the organization.

Pickens, a third-round pick of the Bears back in 2023, struggled to stay healthy in Chicago. Because of that, he never had a consistent role and missed nearly half of the 2024 season.

With the Chiefs, Pickens will join a perennial Super Bowl contender. Future Hall of Famer Chris Jones headlines the defensive tackle room in Kansas City. Pickens will compete with fellow practice squad tackle Marlon Tuipulotu and Brodric Martin for a shot to be the next man up on the roster. Defensive tackle is a light position for KC, as Jones, Derrick Nnadi, and rookie Omarr Norman-Lott are the only tackles on the active roster.

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Pickens was a former five-star prospect in the class of 2019. He spent four years at South Carolina, tallying 131 overall tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks.

The big defensive tackle was a Freshman All-SEC contributor but played only a rotational role in 2019 and 2020. He became a full-time starter for the Gamecocks in 2021 and was a team captain in 2022.

Though he only had three tackles in the game, Pickens was very disruptive during the 2022 win over Clemson. He logged a sack and was in the backfield all afternoon. It was but another way the former TL Hanna standout spurned the Tigers, just as he did when he committed to the Gamecocks.

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