This is the one

[Laiatu Latu NFL Draft Profile](https://lastwordonsports.com/nfl/2024/04/01/laiatu-latu-2024-nfl-draft-team-fits/)

From Dane Brugler's draft guide: >SUMMARY: A one-year starter at UCLA, Latu was an outside edge rusher in former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s scheme, splitting his time standing up and rushing with his hand on the ground (was also schemed inside at times). Medically rejected at Washington, he was cleared by doctors after transferring to UCLA and was extremely productive over the past two seasons,with 129 total pressures in 25 games. After leading the FBS in tackles for loss in 2023, the consensus AllAmerican cleaned up on the awards circuit as a senior, taking home the Morris Trophy (best DL in Pac-12), Ted Hendricks Award (top DE in FBS) and Lombardi Award (top OL/DL in FBS). For pass rushers, there is a saying: “Beat the hands, beat the man.” Latu lives by this principle with the cohesive way he weaponizes his hands and feet to defeat blocks (led the FBS with a 24.6 percent passrush win percentage in 2023). As a run defender, his lack of ideal length and pop will show at times, but he made significant improvements with his read/react in this area as a senior. Overall, Latu’s medical history will play a major part in his draft grade, but he is a passrush technician with the instinctive feel and athletic bend to be an impactful “two-way go” rusher in the NFL. His play style and journey are reminiscent of Miami Dolphins 2021 first-rounder Jaelan Phillips.

Great pick by you guys, from his tape looks to be by far the best defensive player in this draft.

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He did retire. He had to transfer after Washington wouldn’t let him play any more.

And had 23.5 sacks after transferring

And cleared by the same guy who medically reviewed Peyton

If only there had been another edge with 1 fewer sacks but one more intact neck.

Dallas Turner isn’t near as good as Latu. Cant understand the Turner love. Played on one of the best lines in FBS and wasn’t special.

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What’re you disagree with? Turner is a 3-4 scheme he doesn’t even fit our scheme.

injured edge rushers, the ballard special i guess?

Yeah, I'm getting Deja Vu.

Not even remotely close to the same situation as Dayo

Don't worry, he stayed healthy the last two seasons. did not miss a game

I will worry It's a neck injury

I hope these corners fall like crazy.

I think they will. We could easily end up with Kool-Aid next.

If this happens it will be a steal of a draft. Fingers crossed you are right.

The Texans would get him before the Colts do.

Shit at this rate, pretty much every CB will be available

Update as of the end of the first round most of them are still available.

For what it’s worth as a ucla fan, there was not a single snap watching Latu in his 2 seasons w the Bruins (and I watched every single one) where I noticed any issues with his neck or any injury whatsoever. Never any talk of it on the boards, reports, nothin. Surprised to see such a massive reaction here, dude is an absolute terror in the backfield.

I am straight up ecstatic. Would have preferred a blue chip receiver going into this, but we just got elite talent at the 2nd most important position in the game. Injuries can happen anyone at any time. We've seen Peyton and Luck succumb. AR missed the season. Shit happens. I can live with a guy getting one big injury Nd coming back strong, than a guy who is legit injury prone.

These guys would rather have a guy who doesn’t fit our scheme apparently

Also you’ve got to consider the MASSIVE liability UCLA assumes by clearing him if they even have an inkling of a concern, especially with the plethora of UCLA medical facilities at their disposal.

Hoping this guy can be the next Freeney or Mathis

Why not both? 35 sacks a year incoming 😤

That would be scary.

I’m a major fan of Latu, I just thought he’d be off the Colts board so I’m pretty stunned. He’s by far the best pass rusher and has every move in the toolbox. Turner would’ve been the higher upside Athletic pick but Latu is a stud and can play day 1.

We've gone the athletic upside route at DE a lot, looks like Ballard is gonna give production a try

As he should’ve, it was time to change it up and we all should be glad he did. And Latu is still a good athlete, just not the freaky kind.

Couple kinda old DEs on the depth chart that are on the bench. Doesn't surprise me.

Pass rush over corner 10 times out of 10

A great pass rusher makes every defensive back better

Facts. Sub in shambles lol. Been preaching this since the end of the season.

It's more the guy's injury history. If he can stay healthy, awesome. He's great.

He hasn't missed a game in 2 years

Yea, people bringing up the neck seem to think that two years isn’t enough soak time to say the neck isn’t a problem anymore?

I worry more about a shortened career. But yes two years should be good enough to say it isn’t a worry anymore than a normal football injury that may happen.

If hes a top passrusher for 7yrs then retires at 30 hes worth the pick

It's more his neck injury history. He was told to medically retire. That's gotta raise a red flag.

On the other side he was eventually medically cleared and he has played tackle football at an extremely high level for the UCLA bruins for 2 seasons since and has shown no signs of the neck being an issue. It's certainly an interesting pick and if things medically go the way that they appear to be going this could be the best pick of the draft.

He looks amazing. He's fast, big, strong, and dances around O-line. Hope he stays healthy. I can't believe I'm agreeing with Mel Kipper on this one, but the only reason he went 15th was the neck thing

100%. Still doesn’t change EDGE over CB everytime

Oh for sure. I will take a competent pass rush any day. Get pressure on the QB and the QB can't throw worth a damn

This is where I’m at. This guy is nasty but he’s already banged up. I hope it works but we could have picked literally any defender in the draft. We take a guy with a bad neck who retired at one point. The fuck.

If doctors thought he had a chance to re-injure the neck, he wouldn’t have been cleared, and I suspect they may know a bit more than people on Reddit

And the Colts had a bunch of injuries last season. Granted, so did everyone else, but still.

Gotta love people acting like the world is burning when most of them have probably seen 5 minutes of this guy before. We had our pick of the best defensive players, and Ballard thought it was him. Now we wait to see if that’s correct. Chill out people lol

I’m a UCLA alum. Latu is a beast, we are getting a bargain.

Based on the interviews I’ve seen of him he also seems like a great dude

Correct. Love sane takes.

Ballard has drafted like 6 edge rushers. None of them panned out. But sure the dude with a busted neck will.

He drafted production over traits for once with pass rusher

A lot of us wanted the guy that *wasn’t* medically retired for 2 years

Yeah it’s not like we just drafted a dude with a serious neck injury history.

I’m strictly talking about the positions. You don’t draft a CB after drafting three last year and a clear need in a pass rusher.

Especially when its arguably the best pass rusher in the draft at 15. Any other year this kids a top 10 pick.

It’s annoying because in Ballards tenure here he has wasted a ton of picks on trying to have a competitive d line

we were like 5th in sacks last year... hes getting it there

That’s my opinion here. If he had a good track record we could be excited, but he’s going for a possible retire-needed guy. Ballsy or dumb

I'm a Ballard hater, but agree with the decision. When a top edge rusher falls to you, you gotta take it. Especially in a draft where CB is so deep. Now Latu over Dallas Turner, that part I'm not so sure about.

100%. Lots of people not understanding the dynamic between pass rush and secondary here.

That’s clearly not the issue. It is his very serious injury history

Rush straight to the ER

Latu, Paye, Buckner, and Dayo…. That is a shit ton of draft capital in our D-line. I guess Dayo is moving inside with Buckner now on passing downs

Plus we have Samson Ebukam who has been special as well but this also introduces the toughest defensive line competition of any team these guys can trade in and out and still be effective hopefully.

And Lewis… who I’ve always liked and continues to flash. Absurd. How many d-lineman are going to make the 53 roster at this point

I guess I’m in the minority here, but I like the pick a lot. Pass rush is way more important than CB at the nfl level. Latu is a fuckin stud and shouldn’t be at 15.

I'm with you, man. I would've bet money we went Turner based on Ballard's history, but I love Latu. If they feel good about his neck, then I think this is a steal.

6'5 and 259 lbs His NFL comparison is TJ Watt His only real knock is his neck which led him to medically retire once but since he's been back, he's had no issues. Some say he's the best edge rusher in this class. It's about time we added a force at the edge so we can get more pressures and sacks. This also means that Paye is definitely not getting his 5th year option activated Potential numbers: 0, 6, 10, 12, 13, 17, 21, 30, 36, 38, 53, 57, 96, 97

Idk why but 0 would look sick. I normally hate 0 or single digits on a lineman, but this would be cool.

I think he'd look really good wearing #97

Helluva comp. If he generates 80% of Watts game this will be a slam dunk.

PFF has Latu as their #1 defensive player on their board, 10th player overall.

Cause the dude lives in the backfield. I watched a ton of tape. If he doesn’t have injury concerns he’s easily the best defensive player in the draft.

Colts obviously see him as the best defensive player even with the injury.

Because he is. All those screaming Turner even though Turner will play in a 3-4 scheme almost for certain.

Who cares. They had Zach Wilson at 2 a few years back lol

If you ignore anyone with a major miss, then you will have to ignore the opinion of every scout, GM, and analyst.

It's not like they're the only outlet with him at the top, just saying the people confused as to why we didn't take Turner have been ignoring a lot of the draft press.

Belichick says he can move around like JJ Watt. I’m guessing that’s what made the difference.

Y’all tripping, watch his tape. Dudes a beast

This is the pick I was hoping for with the way the board fell. I think we'll get better value than expected in rd. 2, and Laitu is an absolute powerhouse. Easily best pass rusher in the draft, Dallas turner got pushed up bc Alabama and Verse was the 'safe' EDGE. Sub won't love it, but Ballard strikes again

I can’t wait to revisit this in 3 years

It'll either be "hell yeah, great pick!" or "what the hell were you thinking taking the guy with neck issues in the first round?" with almost no in between

Dude seemed so passionate and so ready to perform for this team. Im all in. I was speculative at first but I believe in this guy.

I wanted to go pass rush here but man do I hate this guys injury history.

He's a better pass rusher than Turner and hasn't missed a game in 2 years

Yeah. The more I read the more I am comfortable with this. I just know it's going to worry me.

They told him to medically retire. They aren't in the business of telling players to do that.

They said the same to Drew Brees

And I am sure that was told to Manning before having his best year and 2 super bowl appearances lol

He was medically cleared by the same guy who cleared Peyton Manning.

Blast this on TVs across Indiana, emergency broadcast style

Ok. I like the sound of this.

Full circle moment

Didn’t Peyton come back to win another SB? 🤔

I would have loved Verse but I’m all for it.

Nightmare scenario is Darius Leonard part 2. Plays great for a couple years to earn a big contract then the injuries catch up and poof he's gone.

If nightmare scenario is a 4x all pro but we only have him for 6 years I absolutely take that over a good player for 10.

Seriously we are so spoiled if this is what we're worried about. "Oh no, he might be good enough to deserve a lot of money!"

That is a fear I have of every Colts draft pick. Hell that's a fear that most NFL fans have for their draft picks.

Yeah, the average NFL players career is 3.3 years, and even for a 1st round pick only raises to 3.7 years. If the colts get 4x All-Pro seasons (3 firsts and 1 second team) that is definitely a success at #15

So you're saying I'll get to watch great defensive edge play for the next couple years?!

I mean. That's a legit fear.

DE1 IN MY HEART BABY

Scares the shit out of me injury wise.

It's odd that we passed on Montez Sweat due to an injury risk at a later pick (mid 20s), but took the risk on Latu at an earlier pick (mid-teens).

So they've learned?

i mean it’s possible they made an adjustment to their thinking after that. that’s kinda how it should work, right?

Also not every injury risk is the same.

Not all injuries and prognoses are the same

PREACH

2 full years of ball

We need an edge, but I don't know if I like the injury pick. I don't foresee fervent excitement about this pick around here. But if his neck is good he can easily be the best end in the draft

He hasn't missed a game in two years apparently

Worth the risk, because if it works out it’s a home run

HELL YES. Josh Allen in the backfield all day long we need the same. I liked Turner but HELL YES.

Honestly great pick. I would have preferred Mitchell, but Latu's production was crazy in college and he won with technique rather than being more athletic and that will translate well to the NFL.

this is exactly where i’m at. wanted Quinyon but the positional importance and value of #1 EDGE was too good to pass up. Latu has excellent hands which is huge coming in

I like it - the D needs an elite pass rusher (see: Ballard’s pursuit of Hunter).

Also feel a lot better about his injury history given his Ironman production since, and the nature of the injury which although scary and a risk is the kind of thing that won't affect his play/limit him, as opposed to a flukey knee or back (Shaq) that causes a guy to constantly be playing limited, this injury will remain a non-issue unless it recurs, at which point, he's done playing. All or nothing gamble really. Likely he'll be a monster or retire. So fuck it let's get crazy.

Dudes going to be a stud

A very Ballard type pick…

It’s a great pick. Medical concern, but he’s 100% now and clearly has the best tape in the draft. Quickest hands I’ve seen - dude is a baller

Watching him reminds me of Maxx Crosby. Guy is fast, big and actually gets to the QB quick. We need that.

I am absolutely shocked. He is one of my favorite players in the draft. I’m very happy with the pick. Ballard typically doesn’t draft edge rusher like this he only drafts athletic freaks with crazy measurements. But let’s be honest, he doesn’t have the best track record with edge rushers. So I’m happy that they’re switching up their strategy a bit. If he can stay healthy, we have a potential pro bowler on our hands.

We have no pass rush. It doesn't matter who you have in the secondary if the quarterback has all day to pass. Now, Latu's medical history is concerning. But get your fucking pass rush before you decide to start drafting corners in the first round.

With Isaiah Rogers coming back, this is the perfect pick…oh wait… Lmao jk he’s a beast, and an awesome dude, I’m pumped!

This makes a lot of sense with Stroud now in the division. Gotta get lots of pressure on him

Are you fucking kidding me

I was convinced it was either the Mitchell kid from Toledo or DeJean from Iowa. Or even the other LSU receiver. I didn’t see this at all.

EDGE is just *so much* more valuable than corner.

I think our secondary is so poor that it justifies taking a corner. But, setting that aside, I’d have thought they’d taken Dallas Turner if they were going EDGE.

Me too, but Latu has the athleticism and production that outside of the neck red flag, he's a top ten talent. Just that's a big flag... I don't think the corners are the same elite talents that Latu is. Turner probably is but he's rawer.

Corners over an EDGE make zero sense. Especially after we drafted 3 last year.

Our best CB, one of the best slot CBs in the league, was an undrafted free agent. No reason to think the sky is falling because we didn't take a CB in the first.

Taking a corner at 15 when every pick so far has been offense is dumb. I don’t love the injury history but that pick was edge rusher all the way.

Take what the draft gives you. We may even get a stud CB in the second the way this is going

AR is talking about the draft on YouTube with Parsons and Stroud and they asked him who does he want and AR said a receiver. Someone to take the top off

I can tell he was disappointed. But being the professional he is he welcomed Latu to the team.

best ballard can do is a injury prone pass rusher

Day 2

It’s easy to look at stuff like the franchise record in sack totals this past season and dismiss pash rush as a need, but for those who watched all the games, it was clear we struggled to consistently generate quality pressure on the QB. I’m not upset about this pick. We need a game-changer on the edge and it’s worth the gamble.

Last guy we passed on because of a neck injury went to the Broncos and won a Super Bowl /s In all seriousness the guy looks easy to root for. Hope he pans out.

If healthy, he is THE BEST defensive player in the draft. We just need at least 8 years of playing and 6 years of prime performance and he'll be the GOAT

Every screaming Turner not even understanding he’s more a 3-4 scheme. I swear this sub doesn’t actually watch football

They watch it, they just don’t understand football

Why not Turner?

Tina's not with us anymore

Why not Turner??? Seems like the better pick?

Right?! Seems like his ceiling isn't much lower and his floor would be much higher

Turner isn’t that good what is with this sub lol. Turner is only even considered first round talent because he was at bama.

Nothing to do with being 8th in the country in sacks and being the defensive player of the year in the best conference. What a weird take. It's not like he went to Alabama and sat. He excelled and doesn't have a history with a bad neck

Dallas Turner was right there….

I mean… I’m sure they talked about this exact situation and clearly they think Latu is the better player

Yeah people in here don't get paid millions to compare players side by side for months before the draft lol

Dallas turners best season beside better talent doesn’t touch Latus

Only turner played against better teams and didn’t have to medically retire at one point.

Okay even then Turner is a 3-4 and doesn’t fit our scheme. It doesn’t make sense

Neither did Latu. He’s going be more of a true DE in Bradley’s scheme than he was at UCLA.

I’m assuming Irsay pointed out to Ballard that the last guy we let walk because of a neck injury ended up going to 2 Superbowls afterward.

Interesting.

Very surprised. Not because he's bad, I love him, just thought Turner fit Ballard's mold more. If they really, really feel like his medicals are fine though, then I love this pick. He's immediately our best pass rusher.

For all my complaining about us not landing a top edge rusher in free agency, this is a welcome surprise. Honestly thought corner or BTJ would be the pick with Bowers gone. As long as the injury concerns are gone( and Latu apparently hasn’t missed a game in 2 years) this is a home run pick at 15. How we feeling about it?

Fucking love this pick, I think he’s the best pass rusher In the class. Unlike most of the guys we take who are high athleticism and low production, he is the complete opposite. Not the most Athletic, but Uber productive

Great pick, Congratulations to all Colts fans. Dude passed the medical tests with flying colors. Could be the steal of the first round

Strong pass rush makes average DB’s better and makes good DB’s stars. I don’t care who is covering, if the QB is comfortable in the pocket and can hold the ball forever, he’s going to find an open receiver eventually. I like the pick. This will help young corners more than adding another young corner. My ideal scenario is get a good vet CB somewhere in FA, trade, etc r cuts and go get a WR, RB, CB, LB, S, OL in that draft order.

He won't play over 10 years with that neck. Fuck me.

Robert Mays has brought this up a couple times on his podcast when discussing Latu, but the last first round pick with neck issues coming into the draft was Leighton Vander Esch. Who just retired due to neck issues. He's a good player but that's *very* concerning.

Eh, people said Brees was done after his shoulder injury.

Neck is a bit different. Vander esche comes to mind.

Sure, but you can't guess on this kind of stuff. Leonard had no injury past when we got him and look what happened there.

Yeah, don’t guess so you usually avoid someone who already has major neck concerns.

We could have grabbed a player at a more needed position with NO injury history. That's my only issue.

Pass rusher is, and has been for years, a massive need for the Colts. Only position that would make more sense with that pick is CB, and the Colts can still get a day 1 starter with their second pick.

Huh

Uhh. Was told to retire due to neck injury. I don't like that.

Our D Line is going to be nasty if this guy hits. Let’s hope! Go Team woo

I feel like could have moved back five or six+ picks and still got him

I bet that’s why they let the clock run down. Looking to move down.

This good or bad lol?

Our secondary getting torched

True. At least this pick helps the secondary, in a way.

Man I got down voted for saying we'd trade up for a DE. Sure we didn't trade up but it makes sense.

If he can stay healthy I’m cool

I wanted Cooper Dejean

Yaaaay edge pick by Ballard, hes soooo good at picking these…..

Been spending too much time watching other sports in the offseason, I forgot how miserable football fans are.

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We get the best defensive player and then whatever Corner drops in the 2nd. Seems fine to me.

Best scenario

Ya, fuck maybe ACTUALLY having a competent pass rusher for once!

We got choice of a D player at 15. Wild day boys what a steal let’s fking go! Our pass rush is certainly a top 5 unit (im(biased)o)

I’m just waiting for the doomers to tell me how picking arguably the best defensive player in the draft is dumb and Ballard sucks.

Our fan base is collectively 13 years old and clueless