Laiatu Latu pays Buffalo Bills a top-30 pre-draft visit, per sources

Following a transfer to UCLA, Latu’s production jumped off the charts

On Monday, Ryan Talbot shared the news that the Buffalo Bills were hosting edge rusher Laiatu Latu on a top-30 pre-draft visit. Latu is one of the 2024 NFL Draft’s top pass-rush prospects, and could be someone in play for the Bills at pick 28 in Round 1.

Latu’s visit coincided with the first day of the Bills’ Phase 1 offseason workout program, which may mean he was able to interact with several of the team’s players and more.

So what does Latu bring to the table that might excite One Bills Drive and Bills Mafia? Production, and plenty of it. The 6’4”, 265-pound defensive end exploded off the charts after transferring from Washington to UCLA ahead of his junior season. In two seasons with the Bruins, Latu made 51 tackles (34 solo), 34 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, two interceptions, three pass defenses, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

A senior season led by 13 sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles has Latu firmly in discussion as a first-round prospect in this year’s draft.

(stats courtesy of Sports Reference)

The hype around Latu carries significant weight when considering his continued maturation and jumps in production as an outside edge on the defensive line. Backing up his talent and the promise analysts, experts, and peers see in Latu is the the impressive list of year-end accolades, which consists of:

• Two-time First-Team All-Pac-12 (2022, 2023)
• Lombardi Award (2023)
• Unanimous All-American (2023)
• Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year (2023)
• Ted Hendricks Award (2023)
• Morris Trophy (2023)
• Polynesian Football Player of the Year (college) (2023)

Given that almost all the talk surrounding the Buffalo Bills’ potential decision(s) in Round 1 centers around wide receivers, the team hosting Latu may raise some eyebrows — and for various reasons. The most obvious being that he’s not a receiver, but also potentially when considering his injury history.

Latu began his collegiate career playing for the Washington Huskies, where he endured a serious neck injury ahead of his sophomore season that team doctors deemed too dangerous for him to continue playing tackle football. Latu was officially announced as having retired entering the program’s 2021 season, though eventually he entered the transfer protocol in a continuance of his professional football dream. Though any neck injury is a serious concern, that Latu managed to return to the field following a transfer, and put up the type of production he did in 25 games at UCLA speaks to his recovery.

While subtracting their top two wide receivers from the previous four seasons, it’s worth noting that general manager Brandon Beane and One Bills Drive have been known to select the top football player on their board, regardless of perceived need.

The current regime also seems to place a great deal of importance on the defensive line, especially defensive ends/edge rushers. That puts Latu squarely in the discussion to land with the Bills later this month, should things play out accordingly.

We’ll have more to share on Laiatu Latu’s potential fit with the Buffalo Bills, including in-depth analysis of him as a player.