Tag: Laiatu Latu

Indianapolis Colts 2024 rookie review: DE Laiatu Latu

With the Indianapolis Colts on their bye week, let’s check in on their 2024 rookie class, starting with DE Laiatu Latu.

With the Indianapolis Colts on their bye week, let’s take a look back at how their 2024 rookie class is performing, beginning with first-round pick Laiatu Latu.

PFF grade: 73.2
Rank among rookie DEs: 2nd
Rank among all DEs: 31st

Stats to know: On the season, Latu has recorded 33 pressures, including four sacks. Those 33 pressures are tied for 40th among his position group, while Latu ranks 30th in pass rush win rate. In run defense grade, Latu ranks 54th.

Breakdown: Early on in the season, the Colts prioritized Latu being on the field on more obvious passing downs where he could go get after the quarterback.

However, injuries to the defensive end position forced Latu into a larger role as the season progressed, and with those added reps, we saw a greater impact from him as he gained more experience. Of his 33 pressures in 13 games, 16 have come in the last five games. His run defense grade from PFF has also improved quite a bit during that span as well.

Like really any first year player, there is a learning curve that Latu is navigating as he makes the jump to the NFL. But as his pass-rush win rate number indicates, he’s winning his matchups consistently, and when that happens, the production will eventually follow–which is what we seem to be seeing now.

What’s worth watching in the final weeks is Latu’s playing time. Against New England, he would play only 29 snaps. This could be a product of the Colts being healthier up front with Tyquan Lewis back in the mix or perhaps it was more situational with the Patriots running the ball often.

What Gus Bradley had to say about Latu: “We’ve seen it in practice and in the games that it’s slowly coming and like I mentioned before the conversations with him is just keep going,” said Bradley before the New England game. “The opportunities will come and he made a big play for us. He’s made some other chase tackles, I think he ran down a screen, he set the edge, the week before the flare screen.

“He’s really evolved to where not only is he a rusher, he can rush the passer, but he’s got really good football instincts,” added Bradley. “His chase and run ability, the effort that he shows on tape, all those things are putting him in a position to make some big plays for us.”

Colts rookie Laiatu Latu among PFF’s most disruptive DEs in recent weeks

Indianapolis Colts rookie DE Laiatu Latu has been among PFF’s most disruptive defensive ends in recent weeks.

Indianapolis Colts’ rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu is coming on strong as a pass rusher in recent weeks.

According to PFF’s metrics, in the last two games, Latu has totaled eight pressures, two sacks, and forced a fumble.

Relative to the rest of his position group league-wide, Latu ranks third in PFF’s pass rush grade during that span. He’s also fifth in pass rush win rate and tied for seventh in sacks.

“We’ve seen it in practice and in the games that it’s slowly coming and like I mentioned before the conversations with him is just keep going,” said Gus Bradley on Tuesday. “The opportunities will come and he made a big play for us. He’s made some other chase tackles, I think he ran down a screen, he set the edge, the week before the flare screen.”

Through the early portion of the season, the stat line in terms of pressures and sacks didn’t always accurately reflect Latu’s impact on the game or the progress he was making.

However, where he’s routinely ranked well from Week 1 to where we are today is in pass rush win rate. Entering Week 13, out of 122 eligible edge defenders, Latu ranks 26th in that category, which goes to show, when there is consistency, eventually the production will follow.

Latu’s run defense has also picked up as well. Over the last three games, he ranks 18th at his position group in run-stops. That well-rounded skill set has resulted in more playing time as well.

“He’s really evolved to where not only is he a rusher, he can rush the passer, but he’s got really good football instincts,” added Bradley. “His chase and run ability, the effort that he shows on tape, all those things are putting him in a position to make some big plays for us.”

Up next for Latu and the Colts as he looks to continue building momentum is a matchup with New England. The Patriots will enter this game allowing the fourth-highest quarterback pressure rate this season.

Laiatu Latu third among rookies with 20 pressures

Latu has been playing well as of late.

Former UCLA Bruin and Indianapolis Colts’ first-round selection Laiatu Latu is amongst the rookie leaders in pressures, with the UCLA standout ranking third amongst rookies with 20 pressures through his first nine games.

X user Jake Ellenbogen posted the list recently.

“Here are the rookie pressure leaders in the NFL:

  1. Jared Verse #Rams – 39
  2. Braden Fiske #Rams – 26
  3. Laiatu Latu #Colts – 20
  4. Chop Robinson #Dolphins – 14
  5. Elijah Chatman #Giants – 12″

Latu finds himself behind a pair of Los Angeles Rams, with Los Angeles’ first-round pick Verse having 13 more pressures than any other rookie and 19 more than any other rookie who isn’t a Rams’ teammate. 

While he hasn’t had the same total as the Rams’ rookies, Latu, the top-drafted defensive player in this year’s draft, has put together a strong rookie season with 14 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles at just over the midway point for the season. 

Latu started his collegiate career at Washington before spending two seasons with the Bruins before the edge rusher was taken with the 15th pick in this year’s draft. Latu nearly had to retire from football in 2021 after having surgery on his neck, following the surgery the Washington medical staff did not medically clear Latu to resume playing. Latu got clearance later in 2021 and then entered the transfer portal and headed to UCLA.

In his two seasons in Brentwood, Latu had a whopping 23.5 sacks in 25 games with 35 tackles for losses, forcing five fumbles and intercepting two passes as a Bruin. 

His 2023 season with UCLA earned Latu Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, the Lombardi Award, the Ted Hendricks award and was a unanimous All-America selection.

Vikings’ Dallas Turner off to slower start than fellow rookies on defense

Coming from the college game to the NFL is never an easy task, regardless of how some players can make it look season to season. 

Coming from the college game to the NFL is never easy, regardless of how some players make it look season to season. There is a learning curve both mentally and physically, and for some positions, it can be even more significant.

For Vikings’ rookie Dallas Turner, the curve is still being worked on after being drafted in the first round of April’s draft.

In a recent mailbag post, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis was asked about his development. In comparison to others in the class, he is lower in terms of pressure rate. Other rookies, such as Jared Verse, Laiatu Latu, and Chop Robinson, were just some of the rookies who had more success than he had.

To their credit, though, they have almost doubled the number of snaps played compared to Turner.

With Turner showing slower development, the Vikings don’t need him to be dominant on day one. Playing alongside Pat Jones II, Jonathan Greenard, and Andrew Van Ginkel allows him to pick up their scraps while working important mental reps.

He will be along in due time; there is no need to rush the former-star Crimson Tide defender.

A larger role incoming for Colts DE Laiatu Latu with Kwity Paye out vs. Steelers

A larger role will be incoming this week for Colts’ defensive end Laiatu Latu with Kwity Paye having been ruled out of Sunday’s game.

Indianapolis Colts’ head coach Shane Steichen ruled defensive end Kwity Paye out of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday afternoon, which means a larger workload is incoming for rookie Laiatu Latu.

Paye left this past Sunday’s game with a quad injury. He did not practice at all during the week.

Through three games, Latu has been the third member of the Colts’ defensive end rotation, behind Paye and Tyquan Lewis, who would miss practice on Thursday and Friday. As of now, we do not know what his status will be.

The Colts have utilized Latu in primary passing situations. Through the first two games, production-wise, he had just one pressure but was consistently winning his matchups, ranking in the top 20 among all defensive ends in PFF’s pass rush win rate metric.

Then, in this past game, Latu tallied five pressures, which were tied for the most on the team, and had a crucial strip-sack that eventually resulted in a touchdown for the Colts’ offense.

Where there is consistency, the production will typically follow, and we saw that against the Bears.

A larger role for Latu this week means more run defense snaps, especially against this Steelers offense that ranks second in rush attempts per game and 12th in total rushing yards per game.

As a run defender, it’s not only about bursting into the backfield, but at defensive end, setting a strong edge to prevent the ball carrier from getting outside and closing off running lanes will be paramount.

In addition to not having Paye, the Colts already thin cornerback room will be put to the test even further, with Kenny Moore ruled out as well.

Colts rookie DE Laiatu Latu makes PFF’s Week 4 top pass rusher rankings

Indianapolis Colts rookie DE Laiatu Latu is among PFF’s top pass rushers heading into Week 4 of the regular season.

Pro Football Focus put together its ranking of the top-32 pass rushers heading into Week 4 of the regular season. Making an appearance on the list was Indianapolis Colts rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu.

These rankings are based on PFF’s grading system and are updated weekly based on the most recent performances.

This week, Latu checks in at No. 28 after not being ranked the week prior. At the top of the list are Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson, and TJ Watt.

Production-wise, we didn’t see Latu filling the stat sheet by any means during the first two games. By PFF’s metrics, he had only one pressure during that span.

However, going beyond the obvious production, what we did see in those games was a player who was consistently winning his pass rush reps. After two games, Latu ranked within the top-20 of all defensive ends in pass-rush win rate.

Oftentimes, where there is consistency, the production will follow, and we saw that this past week against the Chicago Bears. In that game, Latu totaled five pressures, which was tied for the most on the team, and had a late game-changing play with a strip sack that eventually resulted in a touchdown for the Colts’ offense.

Latu has currently played 94 defensive snaps, roughly 70 behind Kwity Paye and Tyquan Lewis as the third member of that defensive end rotation. The Colts are doing their best to put him on the field during obvious passing situations where he can pin his ears back.

What Laiatu Latu said after his first-career NFL sack

The former Bruins pass rusher was emotional and excited after his big-time sack.

Former UCLA Bruin Laiatu Latu had lofty expectations entering the 2024 season. The first defensive player drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, all eyes were on the Indianapolis Colts defensive end Latu and his early output. On Sunday, he delivered against the Chicago Bears.

In the fourth quarter, former USC Trojan Caleb Williams was mounting a comeback against the Colts down 14-9. But a perfectly-timed strip-sack from Latu set the Colts up in the red zone, leading to the game-sealing touchdown and an Indianapolis win. Latu’s first career sack, tackle, and forced fumble, Latu checked several boxes in only one play.

What made me the happiest was that I got to create the turnover in their own red zone with score what it was,” Latu said of his play and performance, per Amanda Foster. “It felt phenomenal… They drafted me for this moment.”

Colts head coach Shane Steichen commended Latu’s play after the game and his relentlessness, saying, “(Latu) was rolling pretty good all game and he was getting close, close, and then finally he got one there at the end.”

Former Bruin Laiatu Latu strip-sacks Caleb Williams

Latu made a big-time play against a former college rival.

UCLA football fans had little to cheer about this weekend as the Bruins fell to #16 LSU 34-17. That said, Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu made a big-time play that likely put Bruins fans in a good mood.

In the fourth quarter on Sunday, with the Chicago Bears mounting a comeback against the Colts, Latu lined up opposite the former USC Trojan quarterback Caleb Williams. Latu exploded at the line of scrimmage, plowing through Bears tight end Cole Kmet and sacked Willaims. Better yet, the former Bruin chopped the ball out from Williams’ hand leading to a Colts recovery in the red zone.

In just one play, Latu’s first tackle, sack, and forced fumble all led to a game-clinching Jonathon Taylor rushing touchdown on the ensuing possession, which led to a Colts win.

The first defensive player drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, Latu backed up his draft position and made Bruins fans proud by recording the sack on a former Trojan.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1837942618069610699

Watch: Colts’ DE Laiatu Latu comes up with game-changing fumble

Colts rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu came up with a game-changing fumble late in the game against the Bears.

With the momentum of the game having shifted from the Indianapolis Colts to the Chicago Bears, rookie defensive end Laiatu Latu came up with a game-changing force fumble.

Following a Bears’ touchdown that made it a one score game, the Colts’ offense was forced to punt quickly. Down five and on their own 20 yard line, Bears’ quarterback Caleb Williams dropped back on first down and was stripped by Latu, who beat tight end Cole Kmet. Grover Stewart then recovered the fumble.

With Anthony Richardson and the Colts offense beginning at the Chicago 16, the offense quickly found the end zone a few plays later, essentially putting the game away, with Indianapolis taking a 21-9 lead.

Through the first two games, Latu hadn’t filled the stat sheet, totaling just one pressure, according to PFF, but he had won his matchups consistently, entering Week 3 ranked top-20 among all defensive ends in pass-rush win rate.

Eventually, consistency and winning his matchups that often was going to result in production and in this case, it was a high-impact play at a crucial moment in the game.

Colts’ DE Laiatu Latu will play against the Bears

After being listed as questionable, Colts rookie DE Laiatu Latu will play against the Bears.

Indianapolis Colts’ defensive end Laiatu Latu will be active for the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

Latu was listed as questionable on Friday with a hip injury he suffered against the Green Bay Packers. Latu did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday but was limited on Friday.

The Colts’ defensive line depth is already going to be put to the test with DeForest Buckner on injured reserve. Having Latu available gives the Colts some added flexibility to line up Tyquan Lewis or Dayo Odeyingbo inside.

The matchup of the Colts’ run defense and the Bears’ rushing offense is a battle between two struggling units. We all know the issues that the Colts have had defensively, while on offense, the Bears rank 29th in yards per carry average at just 3.5.

The winner of this matchup will likely have the advantage when it comes to the game. For the Colts, slowing D’Andre Swift will allow the pass rush to pin its ears back against an offensive line that has given up the second most sacks. On the flip side, run game success for the Bears will put the offense in advantageous situations, and take some of the pressure off a passing game that hasn’t been able to get going.

Through two games, Latu has been the third member of the defensive end rotation, behind Kwity Paye and Lewis. The Colts have tried to get him on the field for obvious passing downs as much as possible.

On the stat sheet, Latu has been credited with only one pressure from PFF, but he ranks within the top-20 of all defensive ends in pass-rush win rate. While the production hasn’t quite come, consistently winning his matchups should ultimately lead to pressures and sacks.

As the game unfolds, we will see if Latu is on a snap count or if he’s a full-go.