Chiefs rookie review: How did they fare against Buffalo Bills?

Jaylen Watson, Cornerback (Round 7, Pick 243)

In his fifth career start, Jaylen Watson played all but one snap against Buffalo, for a total of 72, and had six total tackles (five solo). He also missed a tackle defending a rush attempt. In 46 coverage snaps, Watson surrendered five receptions for 40 yards (18 after the catch) and a passer rating against of 100.0 on five targets. One interesting note is that Watson was not targeted a single time in man coverage all game and every catch he allowed was in zone coverage. Watson had a rough day defending the run as he did miss a tackle.

The Chiefs have asked a lot of Jaylen Watson this season as it is not easy for a seventh-round rookie to start almost immediately. He’s struggled in zone coverage and defending the run at times but he’s held his own in man coverage. He will be a starting caliber player for the Chiefs in the future, if not already, and he’s made a serious case to start over Rashad Fenton once Fenton and Trent McDuffie both return from their injuries.

George Karlaftis, Defensive End (Round 1, Pick 30)

George Karlaftis had his second-lowest snap count of the season against the Bills in which he only played 41 snaps (56% of the total defensive snaps). He recorded two total tackles (one solo) and zero sacks. In my opinion, Sunday was Karlaftis’ worst game of the season as he missed a tackle defending the run and a pass rush win % of just 8.7%, according to Pro Football Focus ($). For reference, every other pass rusher (who rushed at least 10 times) recorded a pass rush win % of at least 13%, except for Derrick Nnadi who was 7.7%. On the positive side, Karlaftis did have three pressures (1 QB hit and 2 hurries) against the Bills.

To be frank, George Karlaftis has been the most disappointing rookie for the Chiefs this season (who has seen significant playing time), in my opinion. He’s struggled to stop the run all season and has been almost non-existent rushing the passer since his debut in Week 1. He’s had his flashes of brilliance, like batting a pass in Weeks 1 and 2, recording defensive stops in every game from Weeks 2 through 5, and earning his first career half-sack against the Raiders, but his down-to-down consistency has left a lot to be desired.

I’ve said it a lot but I’ll say it again: George Karlaftis will be a great player for the Chiefs in the future but is experiencing growing pains as he’s adjusting to the NFL game. He was my favorite selection from the 2022 NFL Draft class for Kansas City but has always needed time to develop—like every rookie ever—and that will come with time. He has multiple areas for improvement but I have very little doubt that the Chiefs found a good one in Karlaftis.