2022 NFL mock draft: Spencer Rattler leads fascinating QB class
2022 NFL mock draft: 14th pick
Purdue. George Karlaftis. 14. player. Pick Analysis. EDGE. 60. Scouting Report
The Minnesota Vikings tried to make a bold trade in the 2020 offseason for pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, and it wound up biting them in the butt pretty bad.
The Vikings sent a second-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Ngakoue, but Minnesota traded him to the Ravens before the deadline for a third-rounder.
The Vikings still haven’t really gotten that defensive end position taken care of, though the jury is going to be out at least through the 2021 season.
They brought back Stephen Weatherly who left for a year to play in Carolina. He could be penciled in to start opposite Danielle Hunter, who has been the subject of some mild trade rumors.
Patrick Jones will try to entrench himself in the lineup as a rookie this season and recent fourth-round picks Janarius Robinson (2021) and DJ Wonnum (2020) will try to factor in as well.
With that being said, in this mock draft scenario, there’s probably no better value on the board than Purdue’s George Karlaftis, whose 55 QB pressures in his true freshman season of 2019 were among the best in recent history.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1349403129322860548
Karlaftis only played two games in 2020, but he had two sacks and two tackles for loss, proving his pass rush ability is going to more likely than not lead to a sack per game unless offensive tackles can contain him.
For a frame of reference, Kayvon Thibodeaux — who is going 2nd overall in this mock draft — had 34 pressures as a true freshman compared to Karlaftis’ 55.
This guy is a stud and should be a hot name all throughout the circuit.