George Karlaftis
We love being able to point to someone along the defensive line other than Chris Jones for some heroics on an afternoon like this one, so we’ll happily look at George Karlaftis and give him a nod for making such a strong effort in Week 18.
Karlaftis has been a man on fire in recent weeks with five sacks in his last six games. It’s a sign that things are really starting to click for him at the pro level and that his natural talents are beginning to take over as he can respond instinctually instead of having the mental aspect of the NFL overwhelm him.
Joe Cullen has been an incredible addition to the coaching staff this season, and Karlaftis is hardly the only one who has benefitted from having the former Jaguars defensive coordinator around. But Karlaftis is the one who was a first-round pick and has a real ceiling of being a well-rounded cornerstone on one side of the line for years to come.
Against the Raiders, Karlaftis shared a sack with Chris Jones, recovered a fumble, and had another tackle for loss. The rookie still takes his licks from time to time, both as a pass rusher and against the run, but for the most part, Karlaftis is looking like a well-rounded defensive end who is going to be a very dependable (and good) player for the Chiefs defense for quite some time.