2022 NFL Draft: Would Lions go with a different edge rusher at No.1 overall?
A certain player is easy to tab as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, but could the Lions go with a different edge rusher?
If it was taking place today, the Detroit Lions would have the No.1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. In fact, at 0-8, 30 other teams have at least two more wins now and the Lions might have to go 3-14 to avoid having the No. 1 pick in April.
While some mock drafts have had them reaching for a quarterback, the easiest pick has generally been Oregon defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux going No. 1 to the Lions. It’s a no-brainer pick, with a second first-round pick allowing Detroit to consider a quarterback there.
2022 NFL Draft: Could the Lions go with a different edge rusher at No.1?
In his latest mock draft, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has the Lions taking…..Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis with the first overall pick. Wait, what?
"Early November is the appropriate time for a mock draft surprise. And this would amount to one. However, Karlaftis, like Kayvon Thibodeaux, is a freaky athlete who’s actually younger than the Oregon star and has more of an NFL body."
Trapasso’s deeper standalone look at Karlaftis with some play clips is worth a look, but I’ll pick one nugget from it, citing Karlaftis’ 18.1 percent pressure rate this season.
"The 18.1% pressure rate this year is a colossal figure, especially considering he’s already rushed the passer 221 times. For context, Chase Young’s rate was 17.7% on 305 pass-rush snaps in his final season at Ohio State."
Trapasso considers Karlaftis to be a more NFL-ready prospect than Thibodeaux, with better hand usage and power right now. The Boilermakers’ pass rusher is certainly a first-round prospect, and he may go in the top-10 overall. But the Lions shouldn’t get too cute with the first overall pick– surprises such as Karlaftis at No. 1 are reserved for mock drafters who won’t lose their job by being wrong, whenever they have such a projection.
