Analyzing George Karlaftis Making a Second-Year Leap

Another area where the sophomore edge rusher has taken a leap is in his intelligence. Karlaftis is reading what the offense is doing at a higher level. He trusts his eyes and stays disciplined when the offense tries to present "eye candy." There have been a few plays where the offense has tested him in space with a naked bootleg look. He held his ground and stayed on the quarterback, which ended in him forcing a throw-away or even batting the pass down himself.

Unlike when Karlaftis entered the NFL, Kansas City has depth and youth in the defensive end room. Not having that last year forced him into a ton of action as a rookie but even with the deeper room, he's still getting most of the snaps. Though Charles Omenihu has yet to touch the field for the Chiefs, even with his return, expect Karlaftis to stay on the field for the majority of the game. The growth in his skill and intelligence — on top of the trust he has from the coaching staff — makes him a true pillar of the Chiefs' defense.

Through two weeks, Karlaftis leads the Chiefs in pressures and is tied for the lead in sacks. Chris Jones's return to the field allows Karlaftis to slide back into the secondary pass rusher role, giving him more favorable matchups. That was the vision the Chiefs likely had in mind when they drafted him. While he's not the only secondary pass rusher in Kansas City, his earlier success has shown that he has grown into more than his initial projection may have suggested. Karlaftis won't turn 23 until after the season concludes; the strides he's made at such a young age provide a promising outlook for his future.