NFL Draft 2022: Final 32-pick Round 1 mock with trades

NFL Draft Pick No. 21: Arizona Cardinals – George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue

TRADE: Arizona sends No. 23 and a fifth-rounder to New England, trading down being a Bill Belichick trademark, for No. 21 to find a replacement for Chandler Jones.

George Karlaftis is an intriguing prospect, and the possibility of him being a top 10 pick isn’t out of the question either. He’s an excellent power rusher, full of energy and yet has an elusiveness about him that you wouldn’t expect to see.

Don’t let the figure of 4.5 sacks fool you. Karlaftis is an exceptional pass-rusher who only needs a few tweaks to make an impact in the league.

At 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, Karlaftis cuts an imposing figure. You can’t speak enough about his motor or his mental acumen, this is a player who gives you 100 percent for 100 percent of the game. He doesn’t quit, and his wide array of pass-rushing moves is exceptional.

Being a power rusher, he doesn’t quite have the lateral quickness of the top EDGEs in this class, and he doesn’t quite pop out on the screen as they do either. His power and technique compensate for this, however, and even if he doesn’t always get the sack, he can still impact the play.

It wouldn’t shock me if Karlaftis is an eight- to 10-sack per-season player whose true impact would be of someone who has several sacks more.