*****The George Karlaftis Thread*****

[Dante84]

More to come!

What are the #Chiefs getting in George Karlaftis?

Had an NFC Personnel executive tell me “He reminds me of J.J. Watt, when Watt was coming out. An explosive and versatile playmaker who has a high motor and can line up at 3,5, or 7. Very strong kid” #NFL #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/5qM3g6OrMr

— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardoNFL) April 29, 2022

George Karlaftis was drafted with pick 30 of round 1 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.23 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 116 out of 1503 DE from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/iXXBvnoFJc #RAS #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/eZ9XjNRDUB

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2022

“I was sitting there the whole night hoping we’d be able to get you.”

Karlaftis gets the call �� pic.twitter.com/DRGBDekvnl

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 29, 2022

[ThyKingdomCome15]

George reminds me of the long time Ram Chris Long. High motor and did everything but pile up sacks. It's early though. Let the pup grow up before you judge him like a hound.

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by staylor26

Leads all rookies in pressures, and I beleive i read he's top 15 in pass rush win rate as well.

But sure, "invisible" because it hasn't translated to sacks just yet.

People need to separate out the prospect from the reality today. If you're talking about what he might/will become, then I'm with you. I liked the pick and all the caveats apply re him being a rookie, being on a terrible DL, having a pretty insane workload - all that matters and impacts performance.

But if you're talking about him now and how he's played against expectations - nope. My expectations weren't that high, I thought he'd be immediately solid against the run and pretty average as a pass-rusher in his first year, but fairly quickly and obviously better than Clark. He hasn't been that, he HAS been completely invisible. There is absolutely no way he is top 15 in pass rush win rate, and I can't see how anyone with eyes thinks he's been solid against the run.

As for the rest of the class I like Moore, I'm confident in McDuffie and I think we'll get important contributions from others, that's a good result. But for every bedwetter on CP who thinks every pick is a bust, there's 20 people who wet their knickers over every draft pick before a snap was played.

[BWillie]

[Red Dawg]

Where we pick in the draft you would have to be lucky to get a stud rookie. He may be really good but he needs work and time.

[Rasputin]

Our defense is going make a major jump next year but we have growing pains this year. I thought that was pretty much understood universal on Chiefs Planet. No no I was kidding myself everyone thinks what you see is what you get never mind developing and experience.

We got a good shot at the title this year and turn around and be even better next year.

[OKchiefs]

Originally Posted by Rasputin

Our defense is going make a major jump next year but we have growing pains this year. I thought that was pretty much understood universal on Chiefs Planet. No no I was kidding myself everyone thinks what you see is what you get never mind developing and experience.

We got a good shot at the title this year and turn around and be even better next year.

DL is potentially even worse next year unless they make the right moves. Clark will be cut and Dunlap, Nnadi, Saunders, and Stallworth are all FA. I’m sure some will resign but this DL group isn’t looking very pretty at the moment. Without a DL that can get pressure there’s only so far the defense as a whole can go.

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by OKchiefs

DL is potentially even worse next year unless they make the right moves. Clark will be cut and Dunlap, Nnadi, Saunders, and Stallworth are all FA. I’m sure some will resign but this DL group isn’t looking very pretty at the moment. Without a DL that can get pressure there’s only so far the defense as a whole can go.

Clark, Nnadi and Dunlap are playing bad enough that it is addition by subtraction. I'd be pretty confident that we can get better talent at DL for significantly less money. Given the needs at DE and WR as well I'm not sure it's a giant leap forward, but there are a lot of decent DTs in FA next year and a few useful DEs too that I'd imagine we could get.

[OKchiefs]

Originally Posted by JPH83

Clark, Nnadi and Dunlap are playing bad enough that it is addition by subtraction. I'd be pretty confident that we can get better talent at DL for significantly less money. Given the needs at DE and WR as well I'm not sure it's a giant leap forward, but there are a lot of decent DTs in FA next year and a few useful DEs too that I'd imagine we could get.

I just don’t think that’s a given that they’ll find someone better considering the current regime is 5 years in and to this point the talent acquisition on the DL is questionable at best.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by Rasputin

Our defense is going make a major jump next year but we have growing pains this year. I thought that was pretty much understood universal on Chiefs Planet. No no I was kidding myself everyone thinks what you see is what you get never mind developing and experience.

We got a good shot at the title this year and turn around and be even better next year.

When you have a top 2 QB in the league, you don't play the growing pains game. You go hard for the title every year as if it is your last shot.

New problems always pop up. Yes the secondary might be better next year, but the DL is still problematic, three of the 5 starting OL spots are unresolved, WR unsettled and at some point Kelce is going to start slowing down a little.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

There’s no way that Karlaftis is top 15 in pass rush win rate, but as a team they’re top 10 in pass rush win rate. So back away from the ledge. It’ll be okay.

[JPH83]

Originally Posted by RaidersOftheCellar

There’s no way that Karlaftis is top 15 in pass rush win rate, but as a team they’re top 10 in pass rush win rate. So back away from the ledge. It’ll be okay.

Genuine Q but what's the pressure rate rushing 4? We're an excellent blitzing team but our DEs are not getting pressure.

[RaidersOftheCellar]

Originally Posted by JPH83

Genuine Q but what's the pressure rate rushing 4? We're an excellent blitzing team but our DEs are not getting pressure.

I don’t have that number.

I think the DEs have gotten more pressure than it might seem. But a lot of it is Jones.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

When you have a top 2 QB in the league, you don't play the growing pains game. You go hard for the title every year as if it is your last shot.

New problems always pop up. Yes the secondary might be better next year, but the DL is still problematic, three of the 5 starting OL spots are unresolved, WR unsettled and at some point Kelce is going to start slowing down a little.

that's a good way to only get a few shots.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

that's a good way to only get a few shots.

Even with a top QB....I think you only get a few true "shots" anyway.

So much of it comes down to luck and health, so maybe you want to give yourself as many opportunities as you can yes.

But I also think you can do both without killing chances at the other.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

When you have a top 2 QB in the league, you don't play the growing pains game. You go hard for the title every year as if it is your last shot.

New problems always pop up. Yes the secondary might be better next year, but the DL is still problematic, three of the 5 starting OL spots are unresolved, WR unsettled and at some point Kelce is going to start slowing down a little.

We kind of already did. That's why Veach did the Frank Clark trade, extended Chris Jones, and tried to skip the learning process for a rookie LT and traded for Orlando Brown instead.

Those moves seemed aggressive at the time, as if we were going hard for the title every year as if it were our last shot. The Chris Jones extension worked out. The other two didn't. And that sometimes happens when you make aggressive moves. I'm not faulting Veach or saying we shouldn't have gone all in like we did, but it does mean that eventually you have to have a re-organization year.

Fans claim they accept that reality as a consequence for going hard, but when it happens, it's like it catches them by surprise. "What? Why is there a hole in the roster? Why are so many rookies being forced to play?! We should be going all in!!!!!!!"

And seriously... the Chiefs are a top 5 ****ing team in the NFL, and that's being conservative. And THIS is the result of our "just cool it with the trades and big contracts for a season or two, guys" year?

Man, if I were a fan of any other team, I'd kill for a "rebuilding" year like this one!