2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue

George Karlaftis has elite power, particularly in the lower body. He is a gifted player with a truly lethal bull rush. Skills like these will make his transition to the NFL easier.

Given his PFF scores, it is fair to say that Karlaftis will likely impact the pass game more than the run game. As a 90.6 pass rush graded edge (99th percentile), yet 75.1 "vs. Run Grade" per PFF, you can easily claim that his most significant impact will likely be in the pass game. This was coupled with a mediocre 7.1 percent run stop rate that would have put him in roughly the 75th percentile of his NCAA peers.

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George Karlaftis Profile

Name	George Karlaftis
Age	21
Height	6’4”
Weight	275
Position	DE
School	Purdue

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George Karlaftis Combine Results

Arm Length (inches)	32 ⅝”
40-Yard Dash Time (seconds)	4.77
Short Shuttle/Pro Agility (seconds)	4.36
Three Cone/”L-Drill” (seconds)	6.78
Vertical Jump (feet. inches)	38”
Broad Jump (inches)	121”

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Scouting Report

George Karlaftis was a 4-Star edge rusher coming out of high school. He started his career off strong and earned a spot on the second-team All-Big Ten.

Karlaftis' second year was cut short due to COVID and injuries, but he still racked up two sacks in three games.

This past year, he came out strong again and earned himself a spot as a third-team All-American with 25 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Karlaftis is not the flashy play-maker type of player but a disciplined player who possesses excellent technique.

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Strengths

Karlaftis is a good edge rusher who is very technically sound with the mindset of a pro. His incredible power and quickness in off-the-line scrimmage, combined with his deliberate hands, allow him to create leverage on the offensive lineman.

During passing downs, Karlaftis deliberately feels up his opponent to see which areas he could expose. He also has excellent flexibility to bend well during his pass rushes. He can consistently keep providing pass rush moves and counter moves, if they are needed, during his pass rushes.

Lastly, Karlaftis has a great motor to chase the ball carrier down.

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Weaknesses

Against better competition, Karlaftis struggled to secure the edge and control the line of scrimmage. He is deliberate with his hands but does not have great quickness when shedding blocks.

Karlaftis also has shorter arms than the rest of the edge rushers, which allowed many offensive linemen to get into his chest first in college.

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Trait-Based Projection

George Karlaftis is a good edge rusher who provides consistent pressure on the pass and run game. He also possesses the mindset of a pro and has excellent technique already.

He has the flexibility to play in 3-4 and 4-3 style defenses due in part to his technique in run stopping and pass rushing. Karlaftis is not the quickest edge rusher but is a natural pass rusher with great flexibility and is one of the most technically sound edge rushers.

He also plays with good power and leverage, allowing him to control the line of scrimmage and provide steady pressure on quarterbacks. Karlaftis plays with a team-first mentality, making him a good fit for any NFL defense and atmosphere.

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