2022 NFL Mock Draft: Buccaneers replace Tom Brady with sleeper QB
By Randy Gurzi
Purdue. player. EDGE. George Karlaftis. 8. 44. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
8. Atlanta Falcons: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
This coming offseason is going to be interesting for the Atlanta Falcons. They brought in Arthur Smith last year to serve as head coach and then they traded one of their biggest stars to his old team. Julio Jones was dealt to the Tennessee Titans as there was a huge change on their offense.
Calvin Ridley was supposed to be the new No. 1 wideout but he ended up taking time off to get his mental well-being taken care of. That meant rookie tight end Kyle Pitts was the focal point of their aerial attack. They also featured Cordarrelle Patterson, who shifted to running back this season for Atlanta.
Now, it looks as though they could be moving on from Ridley as there are reports that both sides want a fresh start. If this does happen, there will be a temptation to go for a wideout here —and if they did, it would be hard to criticize them. But with this class being deep at the position, they decide to address another need and elect to go for that spot later.
Their selection ends up being George Karlaftis from Purdue who is probably the top power rusher in the class. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 275-pounds and has an incredible motor. He’s been solid for the Boilermakers and could be an even better pro than he was a collegiate player.