The film shows that the Indianapolis Colts drafted a hugely impactful pass rusher in Laiatu Latu.
Laiatu was forced into medical retirement by Washington back in 2020 due to a neck injury, but returned to the football field with UCLA in 2022. He went on a tear over his final two seasons, accumulating 23.5 sacks and 34 tackles for a loss in 25 games with the Bruins. His pass rush win rate at the college level rivaled that of Nick Bosa as a prospect even.
For what Latu lacks in arm length and explosion, he makes up for it in polish and bend. He is a true winner in the pass rush game right now, something that could hardly be said about Ballard’s past picks at the position. His past selections have all been about projection, but this one is about right now. Latu is an NFL-ready pass-rusher who will immediately produce at this level from day one.
The most fascinating thing about Latu’s ability as a pass rusher came in his ability to win from multiple positions. UCLA’s defense was hybrid in nature, which caused them to use Latu anywhere from a stand-up 3-tech inside to a wide-nine crashing down off of the edge. In the USC game alone, he was rushing from a handful of different spots to put the pressure on this year’s top overall selection:Latu’s pass rush arsenal was on full display against Arizona this past season.
If he does continue to take positive steps forward though, he has top tier pass rusher potential. The film is legitimately that good when it comes to his ability to get the quarterback. I’m not saying that he is going to be the next T.J Watt or Maxx Crosby, but I’m also not ruling that out. Seriously, the traits he showcases on film are up there with those guys as draft prospects.
NFL Draft Laiatu Latu Chris Ballard
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