Philadelphia Eagles: George Karlaftis is a bruising first round rusher

For the first time in what feels like forever, the Philadelphia Eagles have a pair of speed edge rushers who can chase down would-be passers before the ball leaves their hands in Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat.

Now granted, the former probably isn’t going to play much defensive end in the Birds’ base defense, instead playing a Micah Parsons-esque role before kicking it to the edge on obvious passing downs, but on money downs when Jonathan Gannon needs to put pressure on an opposing quarterback in a hurry, he can at least hang his hat on having two players who specialize in just that.

Historically, however, Howie Roseman hasn’t gravitated to players like Reddick and Sweat, especially up high in the draft. No, whether working under Andy Reid, alongside Chip Kelly, or above Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni, Roseman has prioritized bigger defensive ends when his team was running a 4-3 defensive alignment; players who can remain on the field for all three downs and generate pressure on early downs. Has this philosophy always worked? No, not necessarily; Brandon Graham took some time to get going, and the franchise surely hopes Derek Barnett will follow the same trajectory, but when Roseman goes for speedy specialists, it’s typically on Day 3, with Sweat succeeding and others, like Alex McCalister failing to follow suit.

Going into the 2022 NFL Draft, many an objective observer connected the Philadelphia Eagles to David Ojabo, the latest Michigan Wolverine defensive end to wear the number 55, but after tearing his Achillies at the Maize and Blue’s Pro Day, that probably isn’t going to happen at 15, 16, or 19. No, now a popular name to watch has become Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis, who just worked out for the team earlier this week. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of pocket-collapsing power rushers, this is the player for you.

George Karlaftis would be a wonderful long-term DE for the Philadelphia Eagles.

At his heart, Jonathan Gannon is a disciple of Mike Zimmer, who gave him a job coaching defensive backs from 2014-17. Like Zimmer, Gannon prefers to run his defense from a two-deep shell, prefers tall, long cornerbacks who can press at the line and rangey linebackers who can cover a lot of ground after the ball gets snapped.

Do you know what Zimmer’s preference was on the defensive line? Well, in 2017, the final year Gannon worked for the Vikings, the team had Danielle Hunter, a lean, mean, Josh Sweat-ish edge rusher with fantastic speed and a relentless motor on one side, and Everson Griffen, a 6-foot-3, 273-pound “base end” who won his matchups with power, strength, and a good dose of bullrushes.

In 2022, the combination of Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett should be able to fill the Griffen role nicely, but long term, securing a player like George Karlaftis would be a fantastic solution to bringing the Zimmer system down South Broad.

Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 266 pounds, Karlaftis is a big, tough dude. Born Yorgos Karlaftis in Athens, Greece, George moved with his family to West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2014 and gradually became a four-star recruit who chose to keep his talents at Purdue – which is located in West Lafayette, Indiana – over Alabama, Clemson, Florida, and a dozen other big-time programs. Over three collegiate seasons at West Lafayette, one of which was shortened by COVID, Karlaftis amassed 97 total tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, and 4.5 sacks while helping to lead his team to a 9-4 record during his junior season.

With power on par with Aidan Hutchinson and a relentless motor built for collapsing pockets around a quarterback, Karlaftis looks built to play a Griffin-style role at the NFL-level long-term and could even present the sort of inside out versatility that has kept BG gainfully employed by the Philadelphia Eagles well into his 20s.

Could you imagine having a defensive end rotation of Josh Sweat, George Karlaftis, Milton Williams, and Hasson Reddick once Brandon Graham retires? Goodness, that’s a tantalizing combination of different but complementary players who can attack the quarterback in a variety of different ways, including with all four on the field at the same time.

Though some have called Karlaftis a draft dropper after skipping his 40 at the combine, he silenced the doubters who called him slow by running a 4.71 40 at Purdue’s Pro Day; a number made all the more impressive when you consider he did so shirtless in sub-freezing temperatures.

For a rusher who does his damage with power, those are solid numbers, but Karlaftis didn’t seem to care all that much about his timed drills, telling the reporters in attendance the following as dictated by BroBible.

"“I don’t give a crap about the official numbers and that kind of stuff. The stuff we talk about internally more is like how you affect the game is the ultimate factor. How I was able to affect opposing offenses, how I was able to garner attention for myself. I had two or three blockers on me at all times, which freed up our other guys. I think that’s more significant. I think to a certain extent, sacks are overrated. I know people like sacks and all that. I think the way you affect the quarterback, pressure the quarterback, and affect the game is more significant. I am who I say I am. The tape speaks for itself.”"

I tell you what, if that doesn’t scream “Philly guy,” then I don’t know what does.

Is defensive end the biggest need for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFL Draft? No, frankly, one could argue that defensive tackle is a more pressing one, as both Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave will be free agents in 2023, but it is a need, especially if Haason Reddick does prove to play more linebacker than defensive end. While George Karlaftis may not be the flashiest player in this year’s draft class, his game is pro-ready and would look darn good opposite Josh Sweat for years to come, in that one-two speed-power combo that worked out so well for Jonathan Gannon’s mentor back in Minnesota.