George Karlaftis NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Kansas City Chiefs’ EDGE

POSITIVES

— Great first step. Coils and explodes out of his stance.

— Gains a ton of ground through his second and third steps. Helps threaten the edge immediately and gain momentum behind his frame.

— Very good pop in his hands. Can knock blockers back straight away versus both run and pass.

— Active hands with a wide array of pass-rushing moves. Could be even better if he displayed more patience.

— Great change of direction and agility for a player his size. Can redirect and explode in a new direction comfortably.

— Power can be overwhelming. Flashes of relentless lower-body explosion and leg drive.

— Can deal with double-teams. Knows how to get skinny and fight through the gap.

NEGATIVES

— Needs to be more consistent in how he approaches speed-rushing attempts. Too often aborts early and gets square to the quarterback.

— Pad level can get too high. Lets blockers get under his frame and stall out his leg drive.

— Does not have ideal length. Long-armed OTs can get into his frame early.

2021 STATISTICS

12 G, 39 TOT, 10 TFL, 4.5 SK, 2 FF, 2 FR

NOTES

— Three-year starter.

— Born in Greece. Moved to the United States at 13 years old.

— 4-star recruit in 2019. Currently ranks as Purdue’s third-highest recruit ever, per 247Sports.

OVERALL

Aside from ideal length, George Karlaftis has just about every trait necessary to bloom into a star power-rusher. Karlaftis coils and explodes off the snap even without having to time the snap perfectly. In turn, he often gets the jump on opposing offensive tackles, opening up the floor for him to show off his relentless bull-rushing or array of hand-fighting tactics. Blend that together with the ability to change directions and get skinny much better than any player his size should, and Karlaftis lands in special territory as an athlete. He also has all the awareness, anchor and motor to be a high-end run defender right away.

That said, Karlaftis’ ceiling takes a little bit of projection. He sometimes has issues aborting too early on his pass-rushing plan when trying to win around the arc. He has the explosion and flexibility for his size to run a tight corner with power, but he doesn’t always stay committed to it, which could be something a good defensive line coach can unlock. Otherwise, Karlaftis already wins as a bull-rush and inside rusher, even against double-teams, with some value to be able to slide inside on clear passing downs.

Karlaftis has exceptional potential and will already have some ways to provide value early on as he continues to develop. As a three-year starter, he got better each season at Purdue, which should bode well for him unlocking himself further in the NFL. Karlaftis has the size, explosiveness and run-pass versatility to be one of the most disruptive players in the NFL in a few seasons.

GRADE: 8.9 (Impact Player — First Round)

OVERALL RANK: 8

POSITION RANK: EDGE2

PRO COMPARISON: Ryan Kerrigan

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen