Laiatu Latu emerged as a top-tier defensive prospect from Jesuit High School, earning a 4-star rating from ESPN and 247 Sports. His collegiate journey began at the University of Washington, where as a freshman he played in 12 games, tallying 10 tackles, 4 assists, and 7 stops, alongside 5 quarterback hurries and 2 sacks.
After a neck injury in 2020 and a brief medical retirement, Latu transferred to UCLA. Cleared to play, he returned to the field with a dominant sophomore season. In 2022, he took part in 446 snaps across 12 games, amassing 20 tackles, 3 assists, 23 stops, 52 total pressures, and 11 sacks, underscoring his capability as an DE rusher.
Latu’s performance earned him first-team All-Pac-12 honors and the College Football Comeback Player of the Year award. His season highlights included leading UCLA with 12.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, earning the Pac-12 Player of the Week after a standout game against Colorado.
SCOUTING REPORT: STRENGTHS
- Boasts a robust frame with the requisite length and athleticism needed for an DE role, employing both two-point and three-point stances effectively.
- Exhibits impressive initial burst off the line, utilizing his quickness to gain the DE combined with power to unbalance tackles.
- Demonstrates lateral agility and an elusive nature, making it challenging for offensive linemen to engage and maintain blocks.
- Utilizes a diverse set of rush moves with advanced hand techniques, allowing him to disengage and navigate past blockers consistently.
- Shows commendable body control at the rush apex, adeptly redirecting to quarterbacks who step up in the pocket.
- Creates mismatches inside against guards on passing downs with his quickness and relentless pursuit of the quarterback.
- Though more suited to zone, he can drop into coverage, displaying good instincts; however, may be limited in man coverage due to change-of-direction constraints.
- Instinctive playmaker with a persistent motor, frequently forcing turnovers and disrupting offensive momentum.
SCOUTING REPORT: WEAKNESSES
- Displays just adequate athleticism relative to NFL standards for DE rushers, which may limit his ceiling at the professional level.
- Arm length is average, potentially hindering his ability to keep blockers at bay and control engagements on the DE.
- Run defense occasionally suffers from lapses in awareness, requiring refinement in diagnosing and reacting to run plays.
- Struggles to disengage from blockers in the run game, a skill that needs development to contend with NFL-caliber offensive linemen.
- Medical history poses a significant risk, introducing a variable that could impact his draft stock and durability concerns.
SCOUTING REPORT: SUMMARY
Laiatu Latu’s trajectory is on the rise, as he’s quickly becoming one of the most dominating pass rushers in college football in 2023. With his robust skill set and an uncanny ability to get to the quarterback, Latu is making a case for himself as a disruptive force on the defensive line. His performance this season is solidifying his reputation, and if he maintains this level of play, there’s a strong possibility he could ascend into a top-10 selection in the draft.
The primary concerns casting a shadow over Latu’s draft stock are not about his talent but rather his medical history and physical attributes, which, while adequate, are not at the pinnacle of what the NFL typically covets in a first-round DE defender. Yet, his instincts and motor on the field are so potent that they demand attention; they could very well offset concerns about his athleticism and medical past.
Latu’s fit as an odd-front DE rusher makes him particularly attractive to NFL teams running such schemes. His impact is felt immediately on passing downs, and as he continues to refine his approach against the run, his three-down value increases. For teams prioritizing pass rush, Latu’s presence on the field could be transformational.
As the season progresses, all signs point to Latu’s draft momentum only gaining speed. His continued evolution as a pass rusher, coupled with his natural talent and on-field production, positions him to potentially hear his name among the top 10 picks. It’s a storyline that will captivate the draft community and one that could very well culminate in a high first-round selection, provided he can maintain his current level of dominance.
