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Chiefs select Purdue defensive over George Karlaftis as No. 30 – newsdubai

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That Kansas City Chiefs selected Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis in election No. 30 overall in 2022 NFL Draft.

6 feet 4 | 266 lbs. | Purdue

Athens, Greece

Background: As a child in Greece, Karlaftis was a multi-sport athlete – including playing on the national water polo team. When he was 13 years old, his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack; this led to his mother moving the family back to his home in West Lafeyette, Indiana – where he began playing football and eventually signed with Purdue as a four-star recruit.

He played 12 games as a true novice and got an insane statistical line: 54 tackles, 17 tackles for losses, 7.5 sacks and two defensive passes. That was when his name started to heat up as a high-profile draft. In the next two seasons, he had 12 tackles for losses and 6.5 sacks combined.

In 2021, Karlaftis played almost 94% of his snaps in a row outside the tackle. He got a pressure of 16% of his pass-rush snaps.

Forces: Karlaftis has NFL size and mass. He moves really well for the broad, voluminous body type he has; he can fly off the snap and put pressure on offensive tackles to get back in their passing set – but has the raw power to really blow them up if they get out of balance. His hands are like bricks, very powerful and effective when stroking down and using them in block construction. He is a high-energy, high-stakes player who always seems to end up on a path towards the quarterback. His natural skills are impressive and it feels like they can be built on stagnant. All indications are that he is a very hard worker.

Weaknesses: Karlaftis does not have ideal arm length, and comes in with 17th percentile arm size and 29th percentile wing span. It can hurt him when he passes one-on-one against an offensive tackle that can lengthen him and win to his chest. He is also not a flexible rusher, for the most part he wins with his strength and power. He has a high pressure speed, but the low sack number indicates that he may not finish his pressure as much as you would like. Even in his size, there are times when he does not use leverage well and can be overpowered more than you would like to see.

This is how he fits in with Chiefs: Karlaftis comes in immediately and starts against Frank Clark on the defensive. His strengths make him a competent player who can eat snaps – especially on early downs. He can contribute to the pass-rush unit, but more like one who utilizes the weakest link in pass protection instead of being a key-rusher. He has the ability to hurry from the inside, allowing the Chiefs to get creative with their rush packs from third down.

Chiefs Draft Picks (10)

  • First round (21st): Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie
  • First round (30th): Purdue’s defensive end George Karlaftis
  • Second round (50th overall – from Dolphins)
  • Second round (62nd overall)
  • Third round (103rd overall – special committee)
  • Fourth round (135th overall)
  • Seventh round (233rd overall – from Vikings)
  • Seventh round (243rd overall – from Raiders to Patriots)
  • Seventh round (251st overall)
  • Seventh round (259th overall – regular comp selection)