The Chiefs first rounder made his preseason debut over the weekend. See an evaluation and what to expect from him moving forward.
Justin Miles @justm1les Chiefs Focus @Chiefsfocus
www.chiefsfocus.com
Over the weekend, the Chiefs opened up their season in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Throughout the game, several different players saw the field and a lot of good things were seen. One of the players who caught the most attention was Chiefs first rounder, George Karlaftis who was making his NFL debut. Despite only getting 35% of defensive reps, Karlaftis looked to be a promising piece to the Chiefs defense. Karlaftis racked up a tackle for a loss, a ten yard sack, and 2 quarterback hits that nearly became a strip sack and another sack. Karlaftis also just looked dominant and seemed to be playing on a different level, something the stats don’t always show. Despite a good game, Karlaftis is still always looking to get better. Andy Reid even had this to say after the game about the rookie, “He talks to everybody-all those veteran players, he asks questions. He’s not afraid to learn.” With plenty of veteran leadership at the position, Karlaftis has some great teachers to learn from as well. This is a valuable trait for a rookie to have and will without a doubt only lead to more success. Karlaftis was a stud in college and looks to carry that on in the NFL. Throughout 26 games with Purdue, Karlaftis racked up 97 total tackles, 14 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. In 2019, Karlaftis had the 3rd most tackles for a loss in the Big Ten. He showed out in training camp and seems to have all the qualities to be great. Chiefs fans should be excited for what this young player is going to do.
Stats via: ESPN.com, Chiefswire.USAtoday & Sports-reference.com
