The Kansas City Chiefs are widely viewed as the favorites to win the Super Bowl this upcoming season. They won their second Super Bowl in three years this past February and the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down.
But while the Chiefs are viewed as the favorites, it doesn’t mean that a championship is automatic for Kansas City this fall.
The Chiefs will be getting everyone in the NFL’s best shot, so they’ll need to show improvement in a few areas to solidify their chances of winning a second straight Super Bowl. One area where the Chiefs could get more production is from their pass rushers.
Kansas City was actually second in the NFL in sacks in 2022 with 55. But they were 15 sacks behind the Philadelphia Eagles, the team they nearly lost to in Super Bowl LVII.
The Eagles in 2023 will once again be one of the biggest threats to the Chiefs. And Philly’s elite pass rush could give them the edge in a rematch.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, their pass rush should be even better in 2023 if former first-round draft pick George Karlaftis breaks out this fall as NFL.com recently predicted. From NFL.com: It is not a coincidence that the Chiefs moved on from Frank Clark after Karlaftis’ strong rookie season.
The high-motor edge defender tallied six regular-season sacks and added another in the AFC Championship game while honing his craft as a first-year player.
As Karlaftis settles into his role as the designated pass rusher beside All-Pro DT Chris Jones, we could see his sack production surge with regular one-on-one opportunities on the edge.
Karlaftis totaled six sacks as a rookie in 2022 which is impressive for a young edge rusher (JJ Watt had 5.5 sacks as a rookie and Khalil Mack had 4.0 sacks as a rookie, for comparison’s sake). If Karlaftis breaks out and turns into a star in 2023, the Chiefs are going to be awfully difficult to beat come playoff time.
