Watch highlights of new Chiefs defensive players Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Most pundits thought the Chiefs would select a wide receiver with one of their two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, but Kansas City instead chose a pair of defensive stars.
The Chiefs traded up and took Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie with the 21st pick, then selected Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis at No. 30.
Here’s more on the new Chiefs defensive duo.
Trent McDuffie
This is what Pro Football Network wrote about McDuffie ahead of the draft: “The referees may want to check for jet turbines under the Washington CB’s socks because McDuffie moves with an unfair amount of explosiveness. Hyperbole aside, McDuffie is truly in the highest tier athletically. His elite explosiveness is visible in multiple phases. He has searing quickness charging the backfield, with the vertical burst to rise up for high passes. His explosiveness translates to spry, sudden feet at the line of scrimmage.”
Here are highlights of McDuffie during his time with the Huskies.
McDuffie is 5 foot 11, but he showed his jumping ability with this interception.
ESPN’s Mina Kimes shared this clip of McDuffie and it shows his ability to close on the ball.
McDuffie forced a turnover on this play in a game against Stanford.
This is a nice compilation of some of McDuffie’s highlights.
George Karlaftis
This is part of NFL.com’s scouting profile of Karlaftis: “He’s a lift-and-leverage run defender at the point of attack but fits into a ‘team defender’ column more than ‘premium run-stopper’ category. He’s a force-based rusher with anchor-busting power and the ability to get to his counters when the rush begins to stall. With just two full seasons under his belt, there will be more development headed Karlaftis’ way. He’s a future starter as a strong-side defender in an even or odd front.”
Here is a look at the havoc Karlaftis can cause on a football field.
Eric Galko, the director of football operations for the Shrine Bowl, shared this collection of highlights.
NFL Prospect tweeted another compilation that should get Chiefs fans excited.
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 8:30 AM.
