George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
George Karlaftis is a player that will be a first-round pick and many will like the way he plays. He doesn’t fit what type of prospect the Steelers look for in their edge rushers but he is a solid player entering the draft. He had a solid collegiate career and will be someone that can grow into something even better.
The name of the game for this edge player is power. He can cause chaos at the point of attack with his ability to use his powerful punch against opposing offensive linemen. He has some issues with relying more on his power than other moves that maybe some teams will search for.
That does not mean that he can’t bend past defenders to get to the quarterback, but he prefers power moves. That could hurt him some at the beginning of his career with the tackles at the next level being bigger and stronger. He has some development left in him but that comes when you draft a player, even if they are as ready for the next level as Karlaftis is.
This player could’ve been the top prospect at his position in another draft class but that is just a testament to the quality of players on the edge. He will probably go at some point within the top 15 or 20 picks and the team that selects him will be getting a great player.