Had an NFC Personnel executive tell me “He reminds me of J.J. Watt, when Watt was coming out. An explosive and versatile playmaker who has a high motor and can line up at 3,5, or 7. Very strong kid” #NFL#NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/5qM3g6OrMr
Originally Posted by kccrow:
You guys are being ridiculous in your assessment of Karlaftis. He's in the top 30 in sacks every year. He's not a top 10 gamebreaker off the edge but he's sure as fucking a good DE.
He reminds me of Hali. Not an elite, lead the league in sacks kind of DE, but a very solid and steady one year in and year out. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tredadda:
He reminds me of Hali. Not an elite, lead the league in sacks kind of DE, but a very solid and steady one year in and year out.
I was thinking the same thing. Hali took some time to really shine as well. Some of that could have been the 4-3 to 3-4 switching but the Tamba Hawk chop was special. [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
Karlaftis is available and consistent, for starters. He's a plus player in all facets. I conceded he's not a game changer but he is extremely solid against the run and the pass. He continues to increase his number of pressures and QB hits. The increases in sacks may still come. If he can add 3 sacks per season, I think many would be signing a different tune. He's still young enough to grow significantly yet in terms of strength and technique.
In my opinion, he's a better player than Rashaan Gary, who got 24 m per. He's certainly going to command no less than the 17m per that Huff got last year. That may help quantify his value.
DEs of at least his quality don't grow on trees. There's, on average, one per team. If you guys want one of the top tier plus him, that's pretty rare overall in the league. Most of the teams that have two traded for or signed a UFA for at least one of those.
He’s the Bo Nix of DE’s. Productive, high floor but will never be a truly elite game changer.
Also we’ll see with FAU. Oweh in Baltimore took 3 years to break through and now he’s got double-digit sacks. Espenesa in Buffalo figured it out in year 3 and went from 2 sacks to 7 consistently.
Hoping Felix can make that kind of jump and be a nice rotational player [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
Karlaftis is available and consistent, for starters. He's a plus player in all facets. I conceded he's not a game changer but he is extremely solid against the run and the pass. He continues to increase his number of pressures and QB hits. The increases in sacks may still come. If he can add 3 sacks per season, I think many would be signing a different tune. He's still young enough to grow significantly yet in terms of strength and technique.
In my opinion, he's a better player than Rashaan Gary, who got 24 m per. He's certainly going to command no less than the 17m per that Huff got last year. That may help quantify his value.
DEs of at least his quality don't grow on trees. There's, on average, one per team. If you guys want one of the top tier plus him, that's pretty rare overall in the league. Most of the teams that have two traded for or signed a UFA for at least one of those.
Right. Karlaftis, to me, does all the things that makes guys like Sam Hubbard start-able players (consistent, available, high motor, good effort against run and pass), but he adds on quite a bit more pass rush ability.
Your DL probably isn't awesome if he's your best DE (unless your DTs are just monsters), but if he's 2a or 2b on your DL, you're in pretty good shape.
$24M seems like a bit much to pay for that type of player, but we'll see what the market looks like soon (and that makes the case for extending him while you still have the lower costs of year 4 and rookie option year 5 to use as negotiating sticks to keep the overall price down). [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
Karlaftis is available and consistent, for starters. He's a plus player in all facets. I conceded he's not a game changer but he is extremely solid against the run and the pass. He continues to increase his number of pressures and QB hits. The increases in sacks may still come. If he can add 3 sacks per season, I think many would be signing a different tune. He's still young enough to grow significantly yet in terms of strength and technique.
In my opinion, he's a better player than Rashaan Gary, who got 24 m per. He's certainly going to command no less than the 17m per that Huff got last year. That may help quantify his value.
DEs of at least his quality don't grow on trees. There's, on average, one per team. If you guys want one of the top tier plus him, that's pretty rare overall in the league. Most of the teams that have two traded for or signed a UFA for at least one of those.
Appreciate you engaging kccrow. I do wonder what his route to improvement will be. I could see his hand usage and certainly his strength improving, and I don't see why that couldn't mean another jump. That's my optimistic take. [Reply]
Originally Posted by OKchiefs:
Danna is set to make $11 million in 2026 and is hardly worth half that, can let go of him after this year to have some more to throw towards Karlaftis.
He's set to make $9 million with about $2.2 million in dead money.
Yeah, you'll free up a little by cutting him, but more like $7 million rather than $11 million. [Reply]
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
Right. Karlaftis, to me, does all the things that makes guys like Sam Hubbard start-able players (consistent, available, high motor, good effort against run and pass), but he adds on quite a bit more pass rush ability.
Your DL probably isn't awesome if he's your best DE (unless your DTs are just monsters), but if he's 2a or 2b on your DL, you're in pretty good shape.
$24M seems like a bit much to pay for that type of player, but we'll see what the market looks like soon (and that makes the case for extending him while you still have the lower costs of year 4 and rookie option year 5 to use as negotiating sticks to keep the overall price down).
You absolutely engage him this offseason to see where his head is at.
But if it's at $24 million you have to start seriously considering a Plan B should one surface in FA that you can tie into long-term. Someone like Chase Young, for example.
And if that means you get them both for a year -- even 2 if you exercise GK's 5th year option -- fantastic. But I think you have to know what GK and his people are looking and be ready to pivot as early as this off-season if need be.
I'd rather keep him than lose him - he's an OUTSTANDING complementary DE. A really good player. But as you noted, $24 million+ is awfully stout for a guy who's best role is probably your 3rd best DL and who appears to be stretched a bit if he's your 2nd. [Reply]
Originally Posted by JohnnyHammersticks:
Just wanted to say hello to all the people from 2025 and beyond who revisit this thread to laugh at the fools who criticized this pick.
Most of us were smart enough to realize what a great pick Karlaftis is, but I went as far as to say that he's going to be one of the best defensive players to ever wear a Chiefs uniform. His potential was apparent right from the beginning to anyone who was really paying attention. And I'll take it a step further and say that his incredible attitude and work ethic will have rubbed off on the entire defense within a year or two and that we'll turn into one of the best defenses in the league because of it.
