Kansas City Chiefs: 3 best offseason additions in 2022

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 28: (L-R) George Karlaftis poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell onstage after being selected 30th by the Kansas City Chiefs during round one of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) /

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LINCOLN, NE – OCTOBER 30: Defensive end George Karlaftis #5 of the Purdue Boilermakers warms up before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

Kansas City Chiefs best addition no. 2: DE George Karlaftis (Purdue)

The Kansas City Chiefs defense has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride under current coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who was hired by the team in 2019. That year, that unit started very slow but got hot down the stretch.

And this group’s improved play was a major reason Andy Reid’s team captured Super Bowl LIV.

Once again, consistency was this defense’s biggest issue in both 2020 and ’21. All told, the Chiefs ranked 27th in the NFL in both total yards and passing yards this past season.

And Kansas City defenders were a very mediocre 21st in the league against the run.

In 2021, Spagnuolo’s unit came up with only 31 sacks while allowing 27 touchdown passes. Chris Jones led the club with nine QB traps, twice as many as end Frank Clark.

The latter has been named to the Pro Bowl during each of his three seasons with the club despite the fact that his sack numbers have gone down every year.

Hence the club used the second of two first-round draft choices in April on Purdue University edge rusher George Karlaftis. His three-year career with the Boilermakers added up to 14 sacks, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries (1 for a TD), and six passes defensed.

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