KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- George Karlaftis watched the NFL draft in late April with eager anticipation. He had plenty of reasons. Karlaftis, the Chiefs' top defensive end, spent the previous month saying goodbye to former teammates -- players such as linebacker Leo Chenal, safety Bryan Cook and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams -- after seeing them join a new team during the free agency period.
The group entered the league as part of the Chiefs' impactful 2022 draft class. Karlaftis, who signed a four-year contract extension last summer, is the lone player from the group left on the Chiefs' roster.
The Chiefs accomplished two things in the 2026 draft that intrigued Karlaftis: The top four players play on the same side of the ball as him (the lone team in the NFL for which that is true) -- and two of those rookies will be alongside him on the defensive line.