With the 15th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected former Bruin Laiatu Latu.
Latu, the first selected defensive player in the draft, according to Pro Football Focus, projects as the favorite to take home the Defensive Rookie of the Year award according to Gordon McGuiness.
Entering the NFL, Latu finished his season as a Unanimous All-American with a 94.3 PFF pass-rush grade for the Bruins in 2024.
As McGuiness writes, “It will be tough for him to replicate (his NCAA productivity) in the NFL, with Will Anderson Jr. winning the award in 2023 after winning 17.4% of his pass-rush reps for the Texans. That’s the target for Latu to be a front-runner for the award.”
Four of the last five NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners were pass-rushers/edge-rushers, with Anderson Jr., Micah Parsons, Chase Young, and Nick Bosa taking home the prize.
Will Latu be the next? It appears both recent history and projected production are on his side.