Kansas City is confident that the best football for the Greek, who took up football late in his life, is still ahead
KANSAS CITY — One reason why Kansas City Chiefs drafted defensive end George Karlaftis in the first round of 2022 NFL DraftIt was his energy. In Purdue, Karlaftis he tended to go full throttle on every play, whether he was attacking the quarterback or defending the run.
Karlaftis confirmed this habit on the field during the early days of the team’s offseason practices. Chiefs.
“He’s going like 100 miles an hour,” said the head coach. Andy Reid after a recent practice session. “Simulations, everything. We had to slow it down.
“He moves pretty well when he’s in space. He’s got good hands, it seems… But, that engine is probably what stands out. It goes and goes.”
Los Chiefs they’re going to need that energy Karlaftistheir only significant addition in the rushing quarterback arena, as they try to reinvigorate a unit that fell to the 29th rung of the NFL in sacks last season. Karlaftis he had 29 sacks in 26 games for Purdue.
“Tireless,” he noted. Karlaftis, explaining his style of play. “I go for the quarterback. I stop the run. I feel like I’m a three-down player, I’m a complete player who can do everything and anything that’s asked of me, so that’s what I bring to the table. I feel like I’m very, very consistent. I feel like the best football is ahead of me … I’ve only been playing football for about six or seven years, so I’m really excited to develop under a great system, great teammates, great organization.”
Karlaftis he started late in football because he was born in Greece, where the sport does not have a great presence, and he lived there for much of his childhood. He moved with his family to the USA when he was 13, and continues to grow within the discipline.
Once he started in American football, Karlaftis he found that he was not only good at it, but enjoyed it, too.
“My parents pushed me to do almost any sport imaginable,” he said. Karlaftis. “When you find something you love, you work as hard as you can on it. I think there’s not a lot of point in spending most of your life doing something that you’re not going to do to the best of your ability every time you’re out there.”
“I love everything about it,” he said. Karlaftis of American football. “I love the offseason. I love the mental and physical challenge and the stress and the game of chess. I love that every single play is a challenge, both before the snap, during the play, whether it’s executing your assignment, making the play, doing the right thing, having the perfect technique and having to do it over and over again, being perfect.
“On top of everything, you love the locker room, don’t you? You love the connection and the bond you create with your teammates, and everything that comes with that.”
ESPN qualified to Karlaftis as their 79th overall player for the 2019 college football recruiting class. He had offers from Alabama a Our Lady. Los Chiefs he was selected 30th overall in this year’s draft, but his late start in football is reason to believe his ceiling is rising.
“All the people we talked to in Purdue he only told us that his best football is ahead of him,” admitted the general manager of the Chiefs, Brett Veach. “He had a background in water polo, being born in Athens, but coming here with a late start to football, he picked it up quickly. One thing that is common with everyone you talk about George It’s his mindset regarding the game, and how important it is to him.”
Los Chiefs they lost one of their top pass rushing specialists from last season at defensive end Melvin Ingram IIIwho signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins. But, Chris Jones y Frank Clarkwho have been first and second on the team in sacks in each of the past three seasons, are back.
His presence could translate into plenty of opportunities for a rookie defensive end to get to the quarterback.
“When you’re a defensive lineman, you want one-on-ones, whether it’s me or whoever,” he said. Karlaftis. “You want to get guys to play alongside you who are really, really good players. Obviously, they’re great players and that just means more success for me and the whole unit.”