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George Karlaftis NFL Draft Profile
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George Karlaftis Scouting ReportKarlaftis’ high school heroics in track and field are a testament to his incredible upper body strength. The Purdue DE uses this on the football field, with multiple examples of him walking opposing linemen back towards the quarterback when hitting them square on. The most impressive aspect of Karlaftis’ scouting report is his overall athleticism. For his size, he moves incredibly well, surprisingly so. He displays excellent burst, can change direction smoothly, and can often be found chasing down the opposition. His combination of size and speed is the stuff of nightmares for opposing quarterbacks. Karlaftis has the tools to be an impactful pass rusher at the next level. His hand usage allows him to overcome offensive tackles around the edge. Moreover, the Greece product has demonstrated several pass-rush moves in his arsenal.
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Areas for ImprovementAlthough he showcases stellar athleticism with surprising speed for his size, he isn’t particularly bendy around the edge. He lacks flexibility in his legs or ankles to come flying around the outside track. As the NFL leans more towards flexible and speedy edge rushers, that could be detrimental to his draft stock. Despite Karlaftis’ impressive tackle for loss statistics, there is room for improvement in how he plays against the run. The Purdue DE needs to work on shedding blockers more quickly to impact the ground game consistently. Some examples on tape of a failure to wrap up the ball carrier allowed for unnecessary extra yardage given up.
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George Karlaftis Career at SchoolKarlaftis couldn’t have predicted the immediate impact he’d make. The true freshman displayed early disruptiveness in his college debut, registering 4 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack. Then, just two weeks later, he secured his first full sack against TCU while adding an interception to his résumé. Karlaftis’ first season was littered with standout performances. During the game against Penn State, he posted a career-high 8 tackles, 3 for loss, and 1 sack. Later in the season, against Wisconsin, Karlaftis secured his only career forced fumble to date. His first season at Purdue yielded 54 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. The young defensive end led the team in tackles for loss while tying the team lead for sacks. Unsurprisingly, he earned first-team Freshman All-American honors while securing second-team All-Big Ten recognition. Unfortunately, a combination of the global situation and injury conspired to limit Karlaftis to just three appearances in 2020. He had a personal experience of the issues impacting the world, resulting in him spending a mandated 21 days away from the program. Furthermore, an ankle injury led to more missed game time. Karlaftis exhibited his destructive tendencies on the line. Although the box score will show he tallied just 4 tackles in 2020, those comprised of 2 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Despite all the missed time, Karlaftis still earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. Meanwhile, his intelligence was recognized with Academic All-Big Ten honors. With less than two months until the start of the 2021 college football season, the expectation is once again high for Karlaftis. A return to something even close to his freshman form will ensure that he is one of the best defensive ends in the nation.Thus, he should ensure that Purdue has a first-round prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft for the first time in over 10 years.
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George Karlaftis NFL Draft Player ProfileThe last time Purdue had a player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, George Karlaftis didn’t even live in this country. From Athens, Greece, to West Lafayette, his journey has been a remarkable ascent to pass-rush dominance at Purdue. Suitably, the player Karlaftis is most commonly compared to is Ryan Kerrigan, who just so happened to be Purdue’s Round 1 prospect in 2011. Some 10 years later, does an early scouting report show that Karlaftis can follow in Kerrigan’s footsteps in the 2022 NFL Draft? Born and raised in Athens, Karlaftis hadn’t played a down of football until the eighth grade. Although his ascent to football stardom belied his late start to the game, it was clear that his superior athletic profile would allow him to succeed at any sport. As a sophomore and junior at West Lafayette High School, he was a state champion in the shot put while also competing in javelin at a high level. Karlaftis’ phenomenal upper body strength was put to good use on the football field. Even as a junior, his pass-rush prowess attracted national attention. Regarded as the best player in Indiana, 247 Sports listed him as a four-star recruit and the fourth-ranked defensive end in the nation. Naturally, he was courted by programs across the country. Offers flooded in from Alabama, USC, Clemson, and Ohio State, in addition to in-state attention from Indiana.
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