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Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA (Senior)

Picture of Rayane M

Rayane M

Back for the 2024 NFL Draft edition, The Trick Play team is once again offering to immerse you in the heart of the event through the scouting reports of Rayane and Valentin. Who will become the next gem of the pro world and who, on the contrary, risks a spectacular flop?
The 2024 NFL Draft starts right now on TTP!

 

Strengths :

  • Technical skill set
  • Good separation
  • Violent hands
  • Size
  • Explosive takeoff
  • Development potential in zone coverage

 

Weaknesses :

  • Plays too high
  • Hands placement
  • Balance
  • Tackling Technique
  • Reading ability
  • Not the best against double teams
  • Pursuits

TTProfil

 
Ah, I was eager to talk about Laiatu Latu! He has clearly been one of the players I've enjoyed watching the most in this entire draft class, across all positions!

Starting with Laiatu Latu's strengths, how can we not talk about his most alluring quality, the number one selling point when discussing him—his pass-rushing ability, particularly his beautifully technical skill set. It's probably the most complete pass rush technique set of the entire draft class. Having such a level of technique at his age is just exceptional! I'm not even sure I can find someone his age in the NFL with such a developed skill set. To be very honest, I've rarely seen a prospect so technically advanced at the edge rusher position as Latu. Others might be more advanced in different aspects, but from a purely technical standpoint in pass rushing, he is really special. He has everything in his technical arsenal—literally everything. From speed moves, power moves, counter moves, hand fighting, body feints, it's terrifying and very clearly his number one asset. I've deliberately chosen not to list specific examples of techniques to stick to the major "categories" since it would have required explaining each one in detail and wouldn't have been of real interest beyond overwhelming novices with technical terms. But understand this—on this point, Latu is strong, very strong.
 
In addition to his technical ease, having violent and explosive hands plus an explosive takeoff equips this player with all the tools needed to become a real lethal threat in pass rush situations. Moreover, this explosiveness seen in his takeoff is also evident in his style of play, where Laiatu is sometimes capable of truly flashing brilliance. To add another layer, Latu has the ideal build for an EDGE position; he is tall, has a weight that allows him to lean on the offensive line without being too bulky, which could hinder his movements or limit his explosiveness. The only thing that prevents him from being considered as having the perfect EDGE build is his relatively short arms, which do not allow for an impressive wingspan.

Seamlessly transitioning to the next point, his arm length doesn't prevent him from properly extending his arms during the reading phase to maintain distance from the offensive lineman. This is especially true when facing a run play. Thanks to this good habit, he usually manages to maintain a good separation between himself and the blocker, which gives him ample room to execute a technique and thus break the block.

In the few zone drops he executed this season, I found Latu to be more than adequate. With a bit of work, I think he could develop well in a 3-4 defense scheme as an outside linebacker. He is a player who is both fluid and explosive, and these qualities are evident in his zone coverage. What he lacks is the technique for dropping into zones and refining his reading—both of which are aspects that can be "easily" worked on.

Another strength I've decided to highlight is the production he managed despite a high turnover at UCLA, which didn't really help Latu dominate completely because as soon as he got into his rhythm, he was taken off the field. While some might see the glass half full by saying this probably helped him by keeping him always fresh, others (like me) will tell you that, sure, being fresh is good, but an edge also needs a certain number of reps against his opponent to truly dominate by getting into the flow of the game and implementing his pass rush plan. For me, UCLA's too frequent rotation at this position has served him as much of a disservice in some games as it has helped in others this season.
 
Now, while Latu has many appealing aspects in his play, we must not overlook the more delicate points he will need to work on.

Firstly, Laiatu plays too high. While this is likely due to his height, it's not an excuse. Given the quality of his technical skill set and his explosiveness, I honestly think that if he managed to play a bit lower, he could truly become an extraordinary EDGE, and I choose my words carefully.
Furthermore, playing high creates another issue for Latu: often finding himself off-balance. Most of the time, if Latu is off-balance, it's because he has lost the leverage battle. And why does he lose this battle? Simply because he is tall and plays too high.

Next, we come to his hand placement, which I believe needs improvement. This is particularly visible in run situations where Laiatu wants to read the play and, to do so, places his hands on the offensive lineman (OL) to create separation. Too often in these cases, his hands are placed on the blocker's shoulders, resulting in significantly less force to penetrate his gap and also a higher risk of failing to achieve separation by slipping off the blocker's jersey.
In pass rush situations where Latu decides to use force and opts for a Power Rush move, we again notice that his hand placement is not optimal for exploiting the offensive lineman's (OL) imbalance. This will be an area for improvement in the professional ranks, and having seen him train in preparation for the draft, I've already noticed 2-3 drills focused on improving hand placement.
 
Now, let's discuss his tackling technique, which really needs improvement. The number of missed tackles per game by Laiatu clearly illustrates the issues he has in this area. At times, it can be quite alarming, and there's a risk of injury because he tends to tackle half-heartedly, without really committing. I promise you, there's nothing worse in football than a player who is uncertain when tackling.
It's not uncommon to see him circling around a group of players without really engaging, or deciding to go in timidly and getting pushed around in all directions, or finding himself with a leg or ankle caught in traffic as the ball carrier is brought down because Latu didn't commit fully. These kinds of situations occur quite often, and I've genuinely been very worried for him and his health at times. There really needs to be work done on this; otherwise, Latu risks, in the best-case scenario, being sidelined for certain downs because his coaches will see him only as a pass rush specialist. In the worst case, he could suffer an injury, which clearly, we do not wish for him.
 
Still related to run situations, I find that Latu tends to be too static when trying to read the play. This is really an issue in run situations because in pass rush scenarios, he doesn't hesitate and goes directly after the quarterback. Latu will need to improve his reading ability to manage reading while advancing, to lose as few yards as possible, and to collapse the pocket on the ball carrier as quickly as possible.

I've also noticed that Laiatu often gets dominated in one-on-two situations, or double teams, when he fails to split them at the junction point before they set up. While this is particularly true in run situations, Latu will need to improve quickly in this area, especially given the treatment reserved for the best pass rushers who, even in passing situations, can find themselves being double-teamed throughout a game.
 
Finally, these last two points really disappointed me during the tape analysis and go hand in hand. I genuinely fault Latu for a lack of effort on certain pursuits, especially considering the constant rotation he benefited from at UCLA, which really allowed him to stay fresh throughout the game. Under these conditions, Latu has no excuse not to be constantly at 100%. As I often say, if there's one thing that even the worst player can do without needing specific training, it's to give their all on the field. This requires no special skill other than the desire to go all out for the team, which leads me to the next point, a weakness that is personal to me and concerns only my perspective.
I find that Laiatu sorely lacks aggression/passion/desire to hit—call it what you will, but there are far too many plays where I find Latu to be really passive, even though he could be racking up assisted tackles, or just getting into the ball carrier's head to let them know they're in for a long game because he's on the field, and yet Latu does nothing. On this point, I find him soft, and while it's a concern that personally bothers me in his evaluation, it doesn't change the fact that this isn't the type of profile I would look for, no matter how talented he may be. And talented, Laiatu certainly is.

Laiatu Latu is a prospect that can really make one drool, and it would take blindness not to see it. Simply put, his technical skill set alone could warrant a first-round pick. When you couple that with his size, which is on the higher end of what the NFL looks for in the position, his entirely acceptable athletic abilities—which are even quite good in flashes—and more than decent coverage ability, one quickly wonders: why isn't Laiatu featured in the top 10 of every mock draft for the past year?
This is where the issue lies, between his more than limited ability to defend the run, his multiple missed tackles each game which, once added up, start to present a significant problem, the fact that he plays constantly too high despite several seasons as a starter, one can understand why Latu has been slow to emerge as a first-round prospect.

While I honestly think Latu will be picked in the first round, one thing bothers me and compels me to go against the general consensus—his attitude, which has significantly cooled my enthusiasm during an extended tape study focused on him. I find him, and again this is just my opinion, too nice, too soft, and sometimes even timid or fearful when it comes to getting into the fray. For a position as complex and demanding as EDGE, I'm concerned about how this could translate in the NFL.
Do I think he possesses the tools that could allow him to shine brightly at the highest level? Yes, very clearly. But on the other hand, I wonder if he has what it takes to truly become a major player in the big league. Players with a soft attitude concern me because they are often the first to disappear in crucial moments, the so-called regular season players.

Personally, and this is just my opinion, I wouldn't pursue him in the first round to minimize the risk for my franchise. However, if he's still available in the second, I'd jump at the chance, solely for his technical skill set, which is light years ahead of a typical rookie's. Latu is clearly a first-round talent, but beware of this little red flag, which might not be a concern for some of you, but consider yourselves warned. While Latu has all the weapons and potential to become a number 1 EDGE in the NFL, I wouldn't be surprised if his softer side ultimately directs him towards being a secondary option in the medium to long term.
First-round talent, indeed, but personally, I'd aim to pick him in the second (spoiler alert, he won't be available by the second round).

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