George Karlaftis is playing like a steal for Kansas City Chiefs

It’s very early, but the Kansas City Chiefs have seen George Karlaftis make plays in preseason, confirming their belief in his potential.

Two games, two sacks. Nice start, kid.

For George Karlaftis, his transition to the NFL has been a smooth one so far. Selected No. 30 overall in April’s draft, Karlaftis was expected to join the Kansas City Chiefs as a starter.

And while the expectations of a first-round pick are always high, the Chiefs are very pleased by the early returns through OTAs, minicamp, training camp and now into the preseason. The belief is Karlaftis has married a high motor with athleticism and intelligence, creating an intriguing combination.

George Karlaftis has the Chiefs very excited about his future

In Kansas City’s first game against the Chicago Bears, Karlaftis was continually in the backfield, pressuring the quarterback and eventually notching a sack. Last Saturday, the Chiefs hosted the Washington Commanders and Karlaftis worked through a double-team block to bring down Carson Wentz, forcing a second-quarter punt.

Currently, Karlaftis is starting opposite Frank Clark, who despite making three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2019-21, struggled significantly last season.

In July, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach made a late-summer addition of edge rusher Carlos Dunlap, making some wonder if Karlaftis might be more of a rotational player as a rookie. And while that’s still in play — although it should be noted Dunlap has missed practice this week with Achilles inflammation — Karlaftis is making a strong case to be the clear starter.

For Kansas City’s remade defense, the early play of youngsters will be paramount if the unit is going to enjoy success in 2022. So far, Karlaftis appears ready to fulfill his promise.