The Baltimore Ravens have some work to do when it comes to filling out their edge rusher room. They currently have second-year players Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes, veteran Tyus Bowser, and fourth-year player Jaylon Ferguson.
Those four are a solid place to start, but Oweh is coming off a shoulder surgery (although he seems fully recovered), Hayes missed most of his rookie year with injuries, Bowser tore his achilles in Week 18 and Ferguson hasn’t shown much on the field. They could choose to address their EDGE room in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, and might decide former Purdue star George Karlaftis is a player that they want to add.
George Karlaftis has outstanding play strength
He displays good hand accuracy, arm extension, and leverage on his bull rush pic.twitter.com/v3EuSbQ85y
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) April 12, 2022
Karlaftis has extreme power as an edge defender, stunning offensive lineman with his powerful hands. While he stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs around 274 pounds, he lacks ideal length. That means he has to find other ways to the quarterback, which is where that power stands out.
The former Boilermaker plays with an extremely high motor, and is a very high effort player. He is also an asset in the run game, and displays a very strong football IQ. Some other areas of weakness in Karlaftis’ game besides his length include his lateral mobility.
Karlaftis is a very good player, but likely would be regarded as some level of a reach at No. 14. However, he’s certainly a first round prospect in the eyes of many, and if Baltimore ends up trading down into the 20s, he could be a target for them there.
