2022 NFL Draft: Offensive line dominates top five in 2022 NFL Mock Draft
By Kyle Edmond
20. Philadelphia Eagles (via PIT): George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
George Karlaftis. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Purdue. 54. EDGE. 20. player
The pass rush of the Philadelphia Eagles looks like it should be better on paper. Ryan Kerrigan, Genard Avery and Derek Barnett have all either shown flashes or, in the case of Kerrigan, had a strong career. Unfortunately, all of them are due to become free agents leaving just Josh Sweat left off the edge.
To make matters worse, the Eagles ranked 31st in the NFL this past season for team sacks, having just 29. Only the Atlanta Falcons had fewer. If Philadelphia is going to emphasize defense this offseason, pass rush has to be at the top of the list. Of the needs for the Eagles, the edge is the deepest position, allowing them to potentially push it to their third and final selection of the round in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
George Karlaftis had a strong 2019 season, but saw setbacks in 2020 before rebounding well in 2021. During the 2019 season, Karlaftis put up his best season. He had 54 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks while forcing a fumble. However, he played just two games during the 2020 season.
Luckily, he was able to show up well during the 2021 campaign. It wasn’t quite the level of his 2019 season, but close. He had 39 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks while forcing two fumbles.
The potential is absolutely there for Karlaftis and he’s done it during multiple seasons. The lack of games during the 2020 season could hurt his stock, but if he’s available for the Eagles he would make a great addition to their lackluster pass rush.