Laiatu Latu, Edge UCLA: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Latu was a four-star recruit from Jesuit High School in Carmichael, Calif. in the class of 2019

Laiatu Latu terrorized Coastal Carolina in UCLA’s season opener. Latu has a pathway to becoming an All-American this season and should compete for a first round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has one of the best pass rush plans in this class.

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Laiatu Latu, Edge UCLA: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior outside linebacker from Sacramento, Calif.

Background: Latu was a four-star recruit from Jesuit High School in Carmichael, Calif. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 128 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 132 for Rivals, and No. 116 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 234th in the nation with an 81 grade out of 100. He transferred from Washington to UCLA for the 2022 season after medically retiring with the Huskies in 2021 because of a neck injury. Latu played outside linebacker and tight end for Jesuit. He amassed 94 tackles, including 29.5 for loss, and six sacks a senior, earning First Team All-California honors from USA Today. Latu also caught 13 passes for 272 yards. As a junior, he totaled 65 tackles, including 17 for loss, 12 sacks, and two interceptions. That year, Latu was the Delta League's Co-All-Purpose Player of the Year. He also earned First Team Sacramento Bee All-Metro honors as an all-purpose selection. Latu lettered as a sophomore, producing 18 tackles and three sacks. He earned an invitation to the Polynesian Bowl. Latu clocked a 5.11 40-yard dash and a 4.28 shuttle in 2018, per 247Sports. He also jumped 25.20 inches in the vertical.

Injuries & Off-Field: Injured neck during the 2020 preseason, didn’t see game action in 2020 or 2021, medically retired in 2021 because of a lingering neck injury deemed as a risk of causing paralysis

Awards: 2022 First Team All-Pac-12, 2022 College Football Comeback Player of the Year

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, motor runs hot, surprising burst and closing speed, attacks the inside rush lane when tackles overset, explosive lateral hops or steps to exchange gaps, explosive step gets him from the C-gap to the B-gap faster than some tackles can mirror, upper and lower body are paired together well with complementary footwork and hand usage, lightning fast hands, dips inside shoulder and performs rip move to win outside track, swim move, spin move, two-handed swipe to void the tackle’s hands, chains chop into a rip, cross chop, push-pull move, good at getting his hand into the defender’s chest on bull rushes, forced three penalties on Washington offensive linemen (2022), gave Washington’s Troy Fautanu fits (2022), got after Pitt’s Matt Goncalves and USC’s Jonah Monheim (2022), relentless pursuit, flashes of stacking and peaking around linemen in the run game, speed to chase outside runs to the near sideline, overpowers tight ends in the run game, able to separate from Troy Fautanu in 2022 to make run stops, some good plays vs. the option

Cons: Age, medical history, committed three penalties in 2022, never played 500 defensive snaps in a season, arm length could be questionable, not the most explosive player off the line, pad level snaps upright after the snap, some lower body stiffness, limited bend to get low and flatten rush arc, outside rushes often go too far upfield, dips his shoulder to get low but doesn’t bend to flatten rush angle, sturdy punches stunt his rush, struggles to rush through the lineman’s frame, bull rush gets bogged down, needs to stack counters on his power rushes, spin move gets caught, able to be overpowered and finished to the ground late in his rush plan, questionable ability to hold the point of attack, doesn’t offer much against double teams, lacks a stout lower half to anchor in the run game, can stack and peak but needs to work on shedding blocks, struggles to separate from the offensive lineman cleanly, goes low for tackles and sometimes slides off

Overview: Latu has special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. He’s a high-motor player with surprising burst and closing speed. Latu primarily aligns as a 5-tech in a two-point stance for UCLA, but he also has experience as a wide-9 and as a three-point stance 4-tech. The Washington transfer attacks inside rush lanes when the offensive tackle oversets. His explosive lateral steps allow him to exchange gaps quicker than many linemen can mirror. Latu’s upper and lower body work together with complementary footwork and hand usage. He has lightning-fast hands that elevate his impact as a rusher. Latu’s pass rush arsenal is loaded with moves and combinations. He dips his inside shoulder and performs a rip move to win the outside track. The redshirt senior also chains chops into rips. He uses a two-handed swipe to get rid of the tackle’s hands and accesses cross chop, push-pull, spin, and swim moves. Latu is good at getting his hand into the defender’s chest on bull rushes but doesn’t always have the power to capitalize. He dominated in 2022, getting the better of Pitt’s Matt Goncalves, USC’s Jonah Monheim, and Washington’s Troy Fautanu. Latu forced three offensive penalties against Washington alone. In the run game, the former four-star recruit flashes his relentless pursuit. He stacks and peaks around linemen but struggles to shed blocks at the right time. Latu’s speed lets him chase outside runs to the near sideline. He overpowers tight ends in the run game and makes good plays against RPOs. Latu is an older prospect with a significant medical history that could cause him to be removed from teams’ boards. His arm length could be questionable. The California native isn’t very explosive off the line, and his pad level rises quickly after the snap. Latu suffers from some lower body stiffness that limits his bend and ability to flatten his rush arc. His outside rushes often go too far upfield. He lacks the power to rush through the lineman’s frame, and his bull rush gets bogged down. Latu needs to stack more counters off his power rushes. His spin move gets caught by the lineman too often. Latu is overpowered and finished to the ground late in his rush plan at times. His ability to hold the point of attack is questionable. Latu isn’t suited for challenging double teams because he lacks a stout lower half to anchor in the run game. He goes low for tackle attempts but often slides off the ball carrier.

Overall, Latu is a technically developed star with a deep bag of pass rush moves and counters, but his medical history, physical limitations, and projection as a run defender require further inspection. Latu projects as an early day two selection (pending medicals), especially in the weak 2024 edge class.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Second Round

Size: 6'5", 265 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 08-29-23