The Kansas City Chiefs have been impressed with first-round defensive end George Karlaftis' energy in offseason practices. "He goes 100 miles an hour," head coach Andy Reid said after a recent practice session. "Walk-throughs, everything. We had to slow him down." The Chiefs are hoping it continues into the regular season as they look to improve on a pass-rushing unit that ranked 29th in the NFL in sacks last year. Karlaftis had 29 sacks in 26 career games at Purdue. "I get after the quarterback. I stop the run. I feel like I'm a threedown player, I'm an allaround player that can do anything and everything that's asked of him, so I think I bring that to the table," Karlaftis said.
Chiefs Reach Agreement With First-Rounder George Karlaftis
The Kansas City Chiefs reached an agreement on a four-year, fully guaranteed contract with first-round defensive end George Karlaftis on Friday, according to a source. The Chiefs took Karlaftis with the 30th overall selection after he finished his three-year career at Purdue with 61 solo tackles (29 for loss), 14 sacks, six passes defensed, four fumble recoveries (one touchdown) and three forced fumbles. The 6-foot-4, 266-pounder is extremely athletic and explosive, and he's been compared to former Purdue defender Ryan Kerrigan.
George Karlaftis Goes To Chiefs Late In First Round
The Kansas City Chiefs took Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday night. Karlaftis doesn't have the upside of the edge rushers taken earlier in the evening, but the 21-year-old pass-rusher was extremely productive in college and is very explosive out of his stance on the defensive line. He stands at 6-foot-4 and 266 pounds and profiles similarly to former Purdue pass-rusher Ryan Kerrigan. Karlaftis had only five sacks in his final college season, but he backed that up with the second-highest pressure rate while going up against left tackles. His hand technique is also above-average, and he has an exceptional motor on every play that will no doubt help him in the NFL.
