11. Leki Fotu, DL, Utah
Height: 6’5″ Weight: 333
40-Yard Dash: 5.15 seconds
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Leki Fotu was a three-sport athlete coming out of high school, but not in the three sports you traditionally see from high school football players. Fotu was a football, basketball and rugby athlete who excelled on both the gridiron and the pitch. He played for the USA Rugby Boys High School All-American team, and trained with the London Wasps, a professional club in Coventry, England, in 2013.
But Fotu turned his attention to the football field, and after taking a year off from the sport in 2014 he returned to the defensive line and led Herriman High School in Utah to a 5A State Championship. In the championship game he had ten tackles in a victory over Lone Peak. Graded as a three-star recruit, Fotu enrolled at Utah and earned significant playing time in 2017 as a true sophomore. Ever since he has been a mainstay on the Utes’ defensive line.
Stat to Know: 2018 was his best year in terms of pass rushing production, as he contributed three sacks, nine quarterback hits and 23 QB hurries to the Utah defense.
Strengths: Fotu moves incredible well for a man of his size, with a quick first step and even a little bit of burst. He has tremendous lower body strength and leg drive, and can push the pocket from the interior or reset the line of scrimmage against double-teams or when singled up. He will swallow double-teams with willingness and ease, keeping his ‘backers free and clear. Fotu seemed to relish short-yardage situations, getting immediate penetration in those moments and forcing plays to the outside and help. Fotu’s ability to get that quick penetration with his first step forces many running backs to make snap decisions behind the line of scrimmage. He also has the lateral movement skills to make plays all along the defensive front.
As a pass rusher, the potential is there but there is also room for growth. He relies on upper body strength as his primary pass rushing plan, with either a bull rush or a push-pull move.
Weaknesses: Fotu needs a better plan as a pass rusher. He relies on those two moves and those alone, and sometimes his pad level is too high and he lets the offensive lineman into his chest, and without a counter attack he is stopped in his tracks. He did show against Washington a rip/spin counter move, so it is clear he is trying to piece together a more varied arsenal, but he’ll need that in the NFL. He could handle cut blocks better, as there were times against Washington and Colorado when he failed to fire his hands out in time, allowing the blocker to get into his ankles and to chop him down to the turf.
Conclusion: There is an argument to be made that outside of Utah’s defense, which asked him to be a run stopper first and a pass rusher second, that Fotu could flourish with more freedom and ability to attack the passer. The raw talent is there and with some development and refinement as a pass rusher he could be a true three-down player in the NFL. His feet and first step are a tremendous starting point, and with some improvement in hand usage he could be a fine NFL defensive tackle.
Comparison: Fotu’s play style, size and athleticism are very similar to Kendrick Ellis when he was coming out of college.