Re-Grading the Chiefs' Last 5 First-Round Picks
By Joe Summers
2022 - DE George Karlaftis: A
Whew. It's hard to do better with two late first-round picks than the Chiefs did in 2022. Just like McDuffie, George Karlaftis is a foundational piece at one of the most important defensive positions. He's looked like a potential star at every step of his NFL career, incredibly already ranking fourth all-time in playoff sacks in franchise history.
Karlaftis had six sacks, seven deflected passes and two fumble recoveries in his rookie campaign, then reached new heights in 2023 with 10.5 sacks, adding three more in the playoffs, and 35 pressures while helping form one of the scariest defensive lines in the NFL.
Chris Jones isn't going anywhere, so the Chiefs' defensive front will remain a force to be reckoned with at least for the next handful of years.
Nice job by the Chiefs utilizing their two best pass-rushers in Chris Jones and George Karlaftis last Sunday on the opening drive. Schemed up a look and executed.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) September 19, 2023
Shoutout to Mike Danna as well, who has been excellent early on. pic.twitter.com/DkNiu89GPi
The sky is the limit for the former Penn State star. Jones makes Karlaftis' life easier and vice versa, creating an unsolvable problem for offensive lines once you factor in Spagnuolo's creative blitzes and the quality depth on the defense overall.
We'll remember the 2022 first round as a true masterclass in identifying talent. Teams are overjoyed when they get a player like McDuffie or Karlaftis in any draft, let alone both of them in the same round.