2022 NFL Re-Draft: Chiefs Keep George Karlaftis, Opt for RB in R1

The 33rd Team's 2022 re-draft sees the Chiefs retain George Karlaftis but invest in the backfield with their second first-round pick.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA;Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) and Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) in the first half of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

If every NFL team had a do-over of the 2022 NFL Draft, how could things shake out? One outlet took a crack at predicting it, and the Kansas City Chiefs came away with a mixed bag of outcomes.

It's hard to forget, but the 2022 offseason saw general manager Brett Veach shake up the team in a major way. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill was traded early on, setting Kansas City up with some salary cap relief and a flurry of draft picks to work with. That assortment included a pair of first-round selections, which were ultimately used to bring in cornerback Trent McDuffie (via a trade-up) and defensive end George Karlaftis.

In The 33rd Team's re-draft of 2022, McDuffie went fourth overall to the New York Jets. Where did that leave the Chiefs? With pick No. 21, Ian Valentino opted for Karlaftis. The back-to-back reigning champs got one of their same players, just at a bit higher of a slot.

"Only Hutchinson has more sacks than George Karlaftis since being drafted in 2022, so the Kansas City Chiefs clearly got that pick right," Valentino wrote. "Karlaftis is a good fit as a power end, giving solid support in the run game, and he's a capable closer next to Chris Jones. There's plenty of room for him to improve as a more explosive sack artist, but getting a quality contributor at this point in this draft is fine."

Later in the first round is when things get murky. With McDuffie and Karlaftis both off the board, the re-draft forces Kansas City into adding someone new into the fold. In the handful of picks before No. 30, there was a run on defensive pieces and offensive tackles. In Valentino's re-draft, he shores up the running back position for the Chiefs much sooner than they did in real life.

In this alternate world, Isiah Pacheco is swapped out for current Buffalo Bills halfback James Cook.

"Sure, Kansas City found the ultimate value with Isiah Pacheco in the seventh round of this draft, but this re-do wouldn't offer that opportunity again," Valentino wrote. "While Pacheco has outproduced James Cook as a rusher but 136 yards, he's needed 49 more attempts to get there. Cook has 151 more receiving yards and would be a more well-rounded playmaker for Patrick Mahomes."

First and foremost, getting Karlaftis at 21st overall is nothing to scoff at. After he recorded six sacks as a rookie, the Purdue product broke out with 10.5 as a sophomore and also upped his quarterback hits total from 11 to 17. During the club's recent playoff run to Super Bowl LVIII, he notched three more sacks and 19 combined tackles. It's abundantly clear that even if Karlaftis may not have an All-Pro ceiling, he's one heck of a player already and is more than worthy of the re-do pick.

The Cook decision is an interesting one. On one hand, Pacheco is a solid starter and continued to improve as a receiver in year No. 2 on the job. On the other, Cook amassed 1,122 rushing yards last year and was a downright lethal receiving threat (10.1 yards per reception with four touchdowns). In an ideal world, he'd be a better fit in the offense overall. It's just difficult to justify selecting a first-round running back only two years removed from previously doing that with Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Luckily for the Chiefs, they're perfectly fine landing Karlaftis later in the draft's opening round and getting tremendous value with the McDuffie move. There's no alternate reality for Veach and Co., who have quickly strung together some successful draft classes.

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