Prospect Profile: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Context

Plays across the line but mostly as a 5/6/7 technique, and he will kick inside and rush from a wide 9 at times.

Pass Rush

He is explosive and has a good get-off, and in obvious passing situations he uses his explosion and times the snap to get off even quicker. He’s very good at softening angles to roll through the half man, but he can also compromise the half man relationship with the way he pairs his feet and his hands in his pass rush. He has an outstanding rush plan from down to down. He moves around so much that he’s facing different Offensive Linemen throughout a game, but he has a very good plan for all the different opponents he faces throughout a game. He has an innate feel for what the Offensive Lineman is trying to do and can set up to beat it multiple times throughout a game, expert at getting an OL to over-commit. He also has a knack for understanding the exact moment that the OL has given him an advantage, which he then duly takes. He has this plan and is an outstanding pass-rusher against all types of OL including some of the best he faced in college but it also rarely matters which alignment he is in, although he is more effective the tighter he is to the offense’s formation.

He has good foot speed and he can use his footwork to set the OL up for both inside and outside moves. His hands are his main strength as a pass rusher; he has great accuracy and timing, he plays with elite play strength because of his pad level as a pass rusher. He does have an array of moves he can call upon to execute his exceptional rush plan and take advantage of his superior hand usage. This includes a wickedly fast cross-chop, which isn’t especially powerful but is quick, well-timed, accurate and therefore effective in setting up his finish. He has a jump chop which can be a move that OL can take advantage of but he times it so well that it gives him the edge to begin cornering. Due to his hands and play strength he also has an effective move with straight power to the OL’s chest. Against better competition if his initial move was shut down, he didn’t always have a counter to go to mid-rep but you would see him find another way through the OL on a future down.

He doesn’t always convert speed to power and could stand to add a long arm move to his repertoire, but that’s hyper-critical. His cornering is exceptional; he has good ankle flexion and continues to use his hands as he rounds the edge. He flattens to the QB and finishes with a hit or a sack at an alarming rate for offenses. He is a weapon on stunts and games because of his explosive ability. He’s too dynamic for interior Offensive Linemen to deal with when he’s coming from outside to in. He has outstanding pursuit and a relentless motor. He’s physical and competitive.

Vs Run

He diagnoses Zone Blocking schemes very quickly and gets into great position using his hands and his leverage to constrict running lanes, reset the level of the OL and disengage to tackle the runner in his gap. He is less quick to diagnose Gap running schemes and so he is less able to exert his leverage, but he will still set an edge and make a play on the runner.

SUMMARY
Advanced pass-rusher with an other-worldly feel for what the OL is trying to do. Explosive and productive. Good processor vs Zone runs. Immediate impact starter that will impact the QB

PRODUCTION
SR: 15 Sacks, 11 QB Hits, 38 Total Tackles, 3 FF, 2 INT
JR: 12 Sacks, 8 QB hits, 25 total tackles, 3 FF, 1 PBU
INJURY: Neck injury (2020): retired, returned in 2022.

RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 4
Intelligence 4
Versatility 5
Grit 5
Scheme 5