The Kansas City Chiefs made sure to double-dip in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, ensuring that they filled the holes in their defense that caused many of their struggles last year.
After trading up for Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, they landed another polished, pro-ready defender in Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis at No. 30 overall.
Karlaftis is a long, powerful edge defender who is still fairly new to the sport, leaving a massive upside that he could turn into consistent 10-plus sack production every year. He is sudden off his first step, slapping into his opponent’s chest and speeding past them or through them with haste. He’s patient in the run game, allowing the play to come to him, and using that same power to leverage himself inside, locking down the ball carrier with secure tackling.
He’ll likely start right away opposite Frank Clark, bringing a similar combination of physicality and strength. That tandem will give AFC offensive coordinators fits in a division filled with deep-ball passing attacks. He will help the Chiefs recover from a down year on defense, and create a dynamic duo on the edge of the defensive front.
