Giants Claim DT Zacch Pickens Off Waivers From Chiefs

The New York Giants have claimed DT Zacch Pickens off waivers from the Chiefs, per the NFL’s Official Transaction Wire.

Pickens, 26, was named the Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a high school senior in 2018 and committed to South Carolina as a five-star recruit. The Bears drafted him in the third round with the No. 64 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

He was entering the third year of a four-year, $5,763,789 rookie contract that included a $1,191,846 signing bonus when the Bears waived him at the end of August. The Chiefs signed him to the practice squad and he made a couple of appearances on the active roster before signing a futures deal for 2026. 

Kansas City then waived him in May ahead of rookie minicamp.

In 2025, Pickens appeared in three games for the Chiefs and recorded five total tackles.