2022 NFL Mock Draft: Malik Willis in the top 5, Cowboys get elite EDGE
By Randy Gurzi
Purdue. George Karlafitis. 10. player. 45. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. EDGE
10. Denver Broncos: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
There could be a case made for the Denver Broncos to go after a quarterback here but drafting No. 10 sometimes makes that difficult. Sure, Justin Fields was there this past draft but this one was more of an anomaly. There were more potential franchise quarterbacks than normal — still, Fields should have never fallen as far as he did.
Denver was even one of the teams that should have taken him but they prioritized defense and took Patrick Surtain. This led to them holding a quarterback competition between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater which the entire fan base lost.
Seriously, Bridgewater is a fine option but he’s not the guy who will lead them back to the Super Bowl. He’s still a smart quarterback who might not have a cannon for an arm, but can keep a team competitive — and he could do just enough to allow the decision-makers in the Mile-High city to continue prioritizing defense above all else.
That leads to the selection of George Karlaftis from Purdue in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. Karlaftis has done a tremendous job developing as a player for the Boilermakers. He’s bulked up every year since joining the program and is now one of the more powerful edge rushers and over 270-pounds.
Denver knows the end is near for Von Miller and while he and Karlaftis don’t play the same position, Karlaftis can at least play the secondary pass-rusher across from Bradley Chubb.