In a 2022 NFL Draft pass rusher group featuring the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Travon Walker, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, who are all likely top ten picks, one name has undeservedly been left out of many conversations regarding this position group: Purdue’s 6’4″ 275 lb. George Karlaftis. Karlaftis moved to the United States from Greece in 2013 and proceeded to fall in love with the game of football, becoming a star at Purdue and earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2021. Let’s dive into his tape to see why he stands as one of the top pass rushers in this draft class!
Strengths: Karlaftis possesses great size and power, which make up the core of his game. He has incredible strength, with so much pop in his hands that generate instant knockback against his blocker. Karlaftis has an elite bull rush, showing the ability to convert speed to power with a good initial burst off the line of scrimmage, good arm extension into the blocker’s chest, and great power to drive his blocker backwards deep into the pocket. He shows good leverage too, staying low to uproot his blocker. Karlaftis constantly creates pressure and disrupts the quarterback even when he is not getting sacks, and the pocket push he consistently generates with his power is a large part of that. He compliments his size and strength with a really aggressive mindset, attacking his blocker with violence and showing a relentless motor throughout the play. He can even take on multiple blockers on the same play and still generate pressure on the quarterback. Karlaftis possesses a good pass rush arsenal with a variety of moves to beat his opponent with quality handwork. He is a versatile pass rusher as well who can shift inside to attack the quarterback from a three-technique position. During the rep he also shows the ability to recognize a hole on the inside and bounces in to attack it. Karlaftis is good against the run, showing good handwork to stack and shed blocks. He finds the running back well in the hole and is a reliable tackler.
Weaknesses: While Karlaftis excels at rushing through his blocker, he is only effective in flashes getting around his blocker due to average bend, which limits his ability to dip under his blocker’s shoulder and flatten to the quarterback. Karlaftis really lacks flexibility, which limits his finishing ability, as attested by his mere 4.5 sacks in 12 games. Quarterbacks can elude him in the pocket as a result, and the same is seen when he is isolated in space against faster ball carriers. When Karlaftis gets pushed up the rush arc, he lacks the bend and flexibility to redirect to the quarterback. He can also stand up too tall against double teams as a pass rusher sometimes, which eliminates him from the play. Against the run, Karlaftis can lack awareness at times, rushing upfield and voiding his run lane as the running back darts past. He shows slight balance issues, finding himself on the ground every now and then.
Bottom Line: Karlaftis will be an extremely disruptive force in the NFL due to his incredible bull rush ability to convert speed to power and push his blocker backwards into the quarterback, but I think his lack of great bend and flexibility will always limit his finishing and prevent his sack totals from reaching elite levels. It is important to note that Karlaftis was double-teamed far more often at Purdue than he will be at the NFL, which should aid him in this regard, but I think that his limitations will persist. That being said, having a defensive end who constantly generates pressure on the quarterback and excels against the run is very valuable, making Karlaftis someone that I would feel comfortable selecting starting just outside the top ten of the NFL Draft. He is a very safe prospect who has a high floor at the next level.
Sources
- Cover Image: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2022/4/1/23005344/2022-dallas-cowboys-scouting-report-purdue-edge-george-karlaftis-randy-gregory-dan-quinn-nfl-draft
