By: Michael Higgins

School: UCLA

Class: Senior

Position: EDGE

HT: 6’5

WT: 265 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #29

Background: Laiatu Latu was a 4-star edge rusher that was also ranked as a top-100 player by 247 Sports. Latu is from Sacramento, California and attended Jesuit High School. At Jesuit, Latu played both tight end and outside linebacker. He was his league’s All-Purpose Player of the Year as a junior. As a senior, Latu was named to the USA Today All-California First Team. He helped his team to the CIF playoffs in all three years that he lettered for Jesuit and was selected to play in the Polynesian Bowl. Out of high school, Latu took plenty of visits but committed to Washington over Alabama, Notre Dame, and Oregon.

College: As a freshman in 2019, Ltu appeared in 12 of Washington’s 13 games in a rotational role. He then did not see the field at all throughout the 2020 and 2021 seasons. This lack of playing time led to Latu entering the transfer portal. Before the 2022 season, Latu joined the UCLA Bruins. Originally was in a reserve role with the Bruins, but his play vaulted him into a more significant role as an outside linebacker. Latu finished the season with 10.5 sacks which was enough to place him at 8th in the nation for the 2022 season.

Strengths: Laiatu Latu is one of the most athletic outside linebacker prospects in recent drafts. He bosts excellent burst and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. He can win reps either with his hands in the dirt or in an upright stance off the edge. Latu is a pure disruptor who can collapse the pocket and completely ruin a play on any given snap. Latu has active hands and can beat the offensive tackle with a variety of pass rush moves. Latu has a nasty chop that breaks him free of the opponent’s grasp and allows him to shoot off the edge. Latu can line up on the edge, but can also line up on the interior. He is big enough to handle his own on the inside and he is too quick for the interior offensive linemen. In pursuit, no ball carrier is safe as Latu has the speed to keep up with even the fastest of playmakers. Latu also tends to drop back into soft zone coverage on occasion. This is not his strong suit but he can hold his own when shadowing those crossers and shallow routes.

Weaknesses: Latu is an impressive player, but he is not without his weaknesses. Due to his average to below average measurements, he is not an effective defender of the run. In open space, he is not the most sure tackler and the ball carrier can break free of his attempted tackle. Unfortunately, his biggest weakness, or downside, is his injury history. Latu medically retired earlier in his collegiate career due to injuries. His injury-prone career is something of note if NFL teams are thinking of spending a top pick on him.

Conclusion: Latu’s skillset is worth the risk of an early draft pick as he has plenty of room to grow. He may need time to develop into a complete player at the next level, which is why a good team fit is crucial for his success.

Scheme Fit: 4-3

Ideal Role: EDGE

Best Team Fits: DEN, BUF, GB

Player Comparison: Jaelan Phillips

Player Grade: 86.6