Tag: George Karlaftis

The Xs and Os: The NFL’s most disruptive pass-rushers from every gap

From Dexter Lawrence to Nick Bosa, who are the best pass-rushers from every gap — wide-9 to nose tackle? Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar investigate.

Today’s NFL is about two things above all else — creating and defending explosive plays. In the effort to defend explosive plays, defenses align their pass-rushers all over the line of scrimmage in everything from stunts off of base fronts to overload fronts, where offensive linemen have to adjust more than they’d like to against numbers that don’t work for them.

Anything to get to the quarterback as quickly as possible.

Still, quarterback disruption is about more than just scheme — you also have to have a certain number of guys with the right tools and traits to blow things up from every gap.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup) and Doug (of Touchdown Wire) get into the traits needed to get after the quarterback from every gap — from 0-tech (right over the center) to wide-9 (far outside the offensive tackle).

Greg and Doug spent this week’s “Xs and Os” building the ideal defensive line with those specific traits, and here, we drill down to the best pass-rushers in the 2022 season from every gap. Who does it best, and what are the tools needed to do it?

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

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You can also subscribe to “The Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

(All metrics courtesy of Sports Info Solutions and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise specified). 

George Karlaftis shows appreciation for former Chiefs stars Frank Clark, Tamba Hali

#Chiefs DE George Karlaftis spoke about his relationship with Frank Clark and provided insight into working with Tamba Hali this offseason.

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The Kansas City Chiefs 2022 rookie class played a significant role in the team’s championship run. Contributions from both sides of the ball, with rookies seeing impactful minutes throughout the postseason and making game-winning plays.

One of the many first-year standouts was George Karlaftis, who proved quickly he could be a force on the defensive line. He played spot moments primarily as a reserve but was a critical component of the Chiefs’ pass rush toward the end of the regular season. After the Chiefs parted ways with veteran Frank Clark at the start of the offseason, it immediately opened up more potential opportunities for Karlaftis in 2023.

Karlaftis discussed the impact of Clark with reporters on Tuesday during their one season together, as the veteran has since signed with the Denver Broncos.

“I love Frank,” said Karlaftis. “He meant the world to me. Great person; you got to do what you got to do. You know, it’s his business, but I love him. And he just taught me so much that I’ll take not only with me for this as a professional football player but in life too.”

Karlaftis has also been in touch with Chiefs legend Tamba Hali to improve his technique heading into the new year.

“I knew there were some Chiefs players and guys that had been a part of the organization that lives in town,” said Karlaftis. “I reached out to him (Tamba Hali) to get some knowledge, and it turned out to be a great mentorship.”

Karlaftis finished the 2022 season with 33 tackles, six sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He showed that he could do more damage with more time on the field and consistent opportunity.

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Chiefs DE George Karlaftis gives first impression of Felix Anudike-Uzomah

The #Chiefs’ second-year edge rusher spoke highly of newcomer Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

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It wasn’t long ago that George Karlaftis was going through his first offseason as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, at mandatory minicamp, Karlaftis is getting an opportunity to see another first-round edge rusher go through the process of adjusting to the NFL. Karlaftis will get a chance to help guide the No. 31 overall pick, Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah, during his first offseason with the team.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Karlaftis provided a strong first impression of the rookie.

“He’s been great,” Karlaftis said. “He has been a little bit banged up. He is a student of the game. (He) hasn’t been on the field a lot because of whatever, but he has been able to soak everything up. Mentally, he’s pretty good. I think he is going to have a bright future here.”

Anudike-Uzomah has dealt with thumb and hamstring injuries since entering the league in April. He missed rookie minicamp and was only recently able to get back on the field during the final week of OTAs.

While Karlaftis hasn’t been able to see much from the rookie on the field, he was quite complimentary of his ability to pick things up off the field. Whether it’s the playbook or just taking tips from the veterans, it sure sounds like Anudike-Uzomah is well on his way to a productive rookie campaign in Kansas City.

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Chiefs DE George Karlaftis looking to carry rookie success into 2023

Heading into the 2023 NFL season, #Chiefs DE George Karlaftis is looking to build off of his successful rookie campaign. | from @LazarczykLogan

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Kansas City Chiefs DE George Karlaftis is looking to build on his rookie campaign in 2023.

Karlaftis spoke to the media at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, showing his desire to pick up where he left off a season ago. He provided insight into what this season could look like and what he’s been trying to improve during the course of the offseason.

“(I’m) really trying to focus on the little things,” Karlaftis said. “The mental aspect, the mental side of the game, you can never get too good at that. The details, the fundamentals, really getting bigger, faster, stronger. Trying to hit it from every angle.”

Speaking on his rookie experience and carrying that over to his second season, Karlaftis feels like the extended number of games played will benefit him in 2023.

“Playing 20 games, having that experience and being around guys like Chris [Jones], Frank [Clark], Carlos [Dunlap], and all the other guys in the room, that helps you out,” Karlaftis said. “I learned a lot this past season, I’m ready to take that with me going forward.”

The second-year pass rusher couldn’t exactly pinpoint when things started to click for him during his rookie campaign. However, he felt that he eventually “figured it out” and overcame the early growing pains late in the season and into the playoffs.

“You have conversations – It happens at a different time for everyone, and at times it got frustrating,” Karlaftis said. “You just keep going forward, put your best foot forward.”

The 22-year-old pass rusher is coming off a productive rookie season, totaling six sacks and 33 sacks in 17 games. Karlaftis will look to carry that production over into this upcoming season, sharing in an even greater portion of the responsibility in his second season.

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Could Chiefs explore trade for Commanders DE Chase Young?

Our @LazarczykLogan explores the risk and reward if the #Chiefs were to trade for #Commanders DE Chase Young:

Washington Commanders DE Chase Young has mostly disappointed since winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020.

After being taken second overall behind Joe Burrow in the 2020 NFL draft, Young recorded 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles and three forced fumbles in his first season as a pro. He suffered a torn ACL in 2021, appearing in only 11 games over the last two seasons. In that time, he has produced 1.5 sacks and 26 tackles.

This offseason, the Commanders declined Young’s fifth-year option, leaving his future with Washington uncertain. On Tuesday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that the Commanders could be open to trade inquiries surrounding Young.

“Teams coming out of the spring thinking they need more help may make trade calls on Young,” Breer said. “It seems unlikely the Washington brass would move him ahead of a must-win year, but I know they’d be open to listening.”

Could the Kansas City Chiefs be a potential landing spot for the former top-three pick?

Brett Veach has shown a willingness to take a swing on talented players who could come at a discount. Kadarius Toney is a perfect example.

Last October, the Chiefs acquired Toney, a former first-round pick in 2021, from the Giants in exchange for two draft picks. Toney’s nagging injuries and other factors led to his departure from New York.

Young faces the same type of questions as far as injuries go, and it could be the perfect opportunity for Veach to strike a deal. The only selling point the Commanders can make to a team is that Young is a former No. 2 overall pick who had a stellar rookie season. However, injuries and poor performance in the last two seasons will surely drop his price tag.

There are certainly arguments for both sides of the discussion of whether or not the Chiefs should explore acquiring Young. Giving up a mid-round pick for a player who has shown in the past that he can be highly productive could prove smart business.

Playing alongside Chris Jones could also open up opportunities for Young. A player of Young’s caliber should be capable of exploiting one-man protection, as Jones will often be occupying multiple interior offensive linemen.

Kansas City could use another pass rusher. They have a pair of young first-round edge rushers in George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Karlaftis will be entering his second season in the NFL and could take on more of a leadership role. Anudike-Uzomah will certainly have rookie growing pains and has missed rookie minicamp and OTAs up to this point while recovering from thumb surgery.

For the Chiefs, the biggest obstacle to trading for Young is the salary cap. The team has under $1 million in cap space, and a team trading for Young will owe him $5.3 million in guaranteed salary. Kansas City has ways to free salary cap space, but it’s not just as simple as extending a player to sign another.

Trading for Young could be a one-year proposition. That is something some Chiefs fans may not be thrilled with, but if acquiring Young helps the team hoist a Lombardi Trophy in 2023, there will be little rebuttal to the move.

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3 reasons why Chiefs’ defense could be a top-10 unit in 2023

Here are the three reasons why the #Chiefs defense will be a top-10 unit in 2023:

During Patrick Mahomes’ time as the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, the defense has always been a question mark heading into the season. However, entering the 2023 season, Kansas City could have a defensive unit that is flying a bit under the radar.

In 2022, Kansas City’s defense featured six rookies that played significant snaps in the regular season and playoffs. Those players include Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, and Leo Chenal. That’s what is so exciting about the potential of this defense in 2023. Yes, the players are still very young, but the experience these players went through on a Super Bowl run will have them more prepared this time around. In addition, there are veteran players on the defense that should continue to elevate the young players around them. 

There are a few reasons why this defense can take substantial steps in the upcoming season.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, DE George Karlaftis hyped for 2023 NFL draft

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and DE George Karlaftis took to Twitter to show their excitement for the 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City.

Some of the top players for the Kansas City Chiefs are showing their excitement for the 2023 NFL draft with the first round kicking off in their city on Thursday, April 27.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and DE George Karlaftis, both former first-round draft picks, took to Twitter to show their excitement on Thursday morning.

Mahomes was drafted six years ago to the day when the Chiefs traded up to pick No. 10 in the 2017 NFL draft to select the Texas Tech gunslinger. Everything changed for the franchise and the city on that day. Fast forward to now and he’s a two-time league MVP, two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Super Bowl MVP.

As for “Furious George” he was the No. 30 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft just a season ago, one of two first-rounders along with CB Trent McDuffie. Karlaftis finished his rookie campaign with 33 total tackles and six sacks.

Both players recognize that it’s an exciting time for the fans and the city, but it’s also an exciting time for them too. Not only do they get to welcome some new teammates to the winning culture in Kansas City, but it brings back all the good memories of when they became members of Chiefs Kingdom. New prospects will soon get a chance to experience the same with the added excitement of being selected by the 2023 NFL draft’s host city.

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WATCH: Chiefs DE George Karlaftis working on pass rushing with Tamba Hali

#Chiefs legend Tamba Hali has shared even more clips of his pass rush training with George Karlaftis.

A big storyline to emerge for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason is franchise legend Tamba Hali taking second-year DE George Karlaftis under his wing.

The two have spent time together this offseason, with Hali teaching Karlaftis both pass-rushing and martial arts techniques that helped take his NFL career to new heights. The first clip to emerge showed the two working on hand-fighting techniques. Hali followed that up with a video of him and Karlaftis working with Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Dave Smarr in Kansas City.

Our story on the most recent video seems to have caught Hali’s attention, prompting him to share even more clips of his work with Karlaftis on his Instagram page.

Check it out:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqvbdy5p6J_/

“Thankful and grateful to work with another great human being @georgekarlaftis,” Hali wrote in the caption.

Hali explained in a prior video that the two had been getting up at 6:00 a.m. for martial arts training and then working specifically on pass-rushing techniques in the evenings. In this particular video, you get some clips of Karlafits working on some solo footwork drills. He also works on some hand-fighting disengagement techniques with Hali. We don’t get to hear the instruction from Hali, with one of his songs playing in the background of the video, but we do get to see Hali’s tutelage of Karlaftis again.

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Chiefs Check-in: Patrick Mahomes throwing with teammates in Texas

George Karlaftis and Patrick Mahomes were the most relevant #Chiefs during Kansas City’s slow Thursday news cycle

Chiefs Check-inis our online newsletter at Chiefs Wire, running Monday-Friday mornings. Subscribe to get more Chiefs news delivered to your inbox every day.

The Kansas City Chiefs are biding their time ahead of the 2023 NFL draft later this month, and movement on roster construction has come to a halt as they assess their options with the 31st overall pick. Nonetheless, Chiefs players on both sides of the ball continued their work toward defending the team’s Super Bowl title on Thursday, witLah George Karlaftis and Patrick Mahomes headlining the slow news day in all the right ways.

Take a look at the most important stories about Kansas City football for the morning of Friday, April 7th:

WATCH: Chiefs legend Tamba Hali training George Karlaftis in Brazilian jiu-jitsu

#Chiefs DE George Karlaftis is once again learning from Tamba Hali, this time for early morning workouts with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master.

Kansas City Chiefs DE George Karlaftis continues to work alongside a franchise legend this offseason.

Tamba Hali shared a new video of an early-morning training session alongside Karlaftis and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) master Dave Smarr. For the unaware, BJJ is a martial art that focuses on grappling, hand-fighting and ground fighting.

During Hali’s tenure in Kansas City, he sharpened his technique and ability on the football field by learning various martial arts techniques from Master Joe Kim, who is currently a skill development coach for the New England Patriots. Now, he’s passing the skills that helped him take his NFL career to new heights down to Karlaftis.

Check it out:

“So, this is what I’ve been doing pretty much every morning,” Hali said in the video. “Master Dave (Smarr), we’re in there. Today we’ve got George (Karlaftis), a pass-rusher for the Kansas City Chiefs. We work pass rush in the evening and now George and I are doing a little jiu-jitsu to understand how important technique is when pass-rushing — and mindset. Obviously, after a couple of classes here with Dave Smarr, our head instructor here in Kansas City, George is sold. You’re gifted and then there are those that know technique and are gifted and they uplift their game to the next level.”

It seems like Karlaftis has bought into the process that helped Hali become one of the greatest pass-rushers this franchise has ever known. We’ll find out in 2023 just how far these learned techniques can take the second-year pass-rusher.

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