The Kansas City Chiefs addressed another hole on their defense with their 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. After selecting CB Trent McDuffie at number 21, the Chiefs selected defensive end George Karlaftis from Purdue.
The Chiefs have been hurting at defensive end for some time now and produced an inconsistent pass rush as a result. Now, Kansas City has who they feel will be the answer towards making the defensive line a menacing force to reckon with.
Karlaftis played three seasons for the Boilermakers, mounting up 97 total tackles, 14.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and four recoveries.
At 6-foot-4, 275-pounds, Karlaftis made a tremendous first impression following a brilliant freshman season with 54 tackles and 7.5 sacks. However, his sophomore year was a significant dropoff because his season was cut short thanks to injuries and the pandemic. His 2021 campaign didn’t display the same level of production he had during his freshman season, but he still earned first-team all-Big Ten honors.
Strengths:
Karlaftis has a wide variety of moves at his disposal and shows mastery of them. He has excellent hand control and is creative with how he uses them. He has a decently high motor and gets out of his stance with good juice. He is a big body that excels against the run game and has excellent finishing strength as a tackler.
Weaknesses:
His average length makes it difficult to create favorable angles. He has good lower body flexibility but not enough to stay low around the edge. His balance has failed him at times against the run game, and he has shown flashes of power but doesn’t unleash it often enough.
Conclusion:
The Chiefs need a guy opposite Frank Clark to create pressure from the other side of the d-line and feel Karlaftis is the man for the job. This has the potential to be a very underrated pick. Kansas City has particularly struggled against the run game and now has a guy that excels at stopping opposing rushing threats. He should be able to take the attention away from Chris Jones and Frank Clark while also being a nuisance himself.
