Tag: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu

Ravens reach agreements with three 2023 draft picks

Three members of the Ravens’ 2023 NFL draft class signed their rookie contracts.

On the day when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson officially signed his contract extension to be in Baltimore for the next five years, three members of the 2023 Ravens draft class signed contracts as well, capping off a very busy week in Baltimore.

Cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly as well ass offensive linemen Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Andrew Vorhees all signed their rookie contracts before rookie minicamp kicks off. Vorhees tore is ACL at the NFL Combine so he won’t be playing in 2023, but the Ravens drafted him with the intention that he’d be ready for 2024.

WATCH: Best Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu highlights from Oregon

Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu seems poised to do big things in the #Ravens offense as a member of the team’s front five

Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu put together an excellent 2022 season at the University of Oregon before being selected with the 199th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. He will need to compete for playing time throughout training camp and the preseason but could figure into the Ravens’ plans on offense if he can show some finesse in his game early in his career.

Most fans in Baltimore are unfamiliar with his game, so getting acquainted with his skillset will be necessary before coming to a conclusion on the value of this pick. Check out his best highlights below to get an idea of what this talented lineman brings to the table:

 

 

 

Maleasala Aumavae-Laulu goes to the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round

Maleasala Aumavae-Laulu goes to the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round

The NFL Draft is coming to a close, but there are still important holes for NFL teams to fill, and Oregon Ducks players to be drafted.

The newest member of Oregon draftees is offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round of the NFL Draft. He was taken with the 22nd pick of the 6th round, which was number 199 overall.

Aumavae-Laulu will now go through offseason workouts with the Ravens and vie for a spot on the 53-man roster once fall rolls around. It will be a tall order as the Ravens had the second-best offensive line in 2022 according to Pro Football Focus.

Big Sala played his first two years at Navarro College before transferring to Oregon as a junior. He redshirted with the Ducks as a junior in 2019 but played a lot from 2020-2022. He eventually became a starting right tackle and one of the best offensive linemen for Oregon in a group that was considered among the top units in the nation.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Assessing Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu’s performance at the 2023 NFL Combine

Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu showed some impressive get-off speed at the combine. We’ll see how his draft stock is impacted going forward.

It makes sense that they’re saving the big boys for the final day of the 2023 NFL Combine. While a lot of people like to tune in and watch the quarterbacks and wide receivers work and check out the defensive backs who make the highlight plays, it is often the men up front in the trenches who have some of the biggest impacts on the game.

For the Oregon Ducks, there will be a lot to watch on Sunday in Indianapolis, with three of the six former players taking the field. Alex Forsyth, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, and T.J. Bass are all going through drills and working to up their draft stock ahead of April.

Here is our breakdown of everything that Auamavae-Laulu was able to do on Sunday at the combine.

2023 NFL draft: 3 offensive tackles for Chargers to watch at combine

Here are a few offensive tackles at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Los Angeles Chargers could target in the draft.

The on-field portion of the NFL Combine begins on Thursday, marking the start of the testing circuit that propels some prospects into the stratosphere while ruining the stock of others. To prepare, we at Chargers Wire are previewing players from every position.

Offensive tackle isn’t a position of need for Los Angeles…as of now. With Trey Pipkins set to become a free agent, the Chargers have a number of decisions to make about the future in front of Justin Herbert. Bringing Pipkins back would add continuity. Letting him walk and plugging in Jamaree Salyer would lighten the salary cap bill. Starting Salyer at guard, cutting Matt Feiler for the cap relief, and starting a rookie at right tackle would lighten it even further.

Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu leads group of Pac-12 players named to mid-season All-American team

Oregon LT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu leads a group of Pac-12 players to be named to The Athletic’s mid-season All-American list.

The official All-American teams aren’t going to be announced until much later in the year, but with the 2022 college football season now at the midway point, it makes sense for a lot of outlets to be taking stock of what we’ve seen so far.

One of the outlets doing that is The Athletic, who put out their votes for the All-American first and second team at the midway point of the season. While not refined to specific conferences, it’s impressive to see how many members of the Pac-12 got the nod, as the conference experiences a bit of a positive regression in 2022 after a dismal few years.

The Pac-12 has four teams ranked inside the top 15. How many of those players cracked the All-American team for The Athletic? Let’s take a look:

Five Ducks named to the Polynesian player of the year award watch list

Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell headlines a group of five Ducks to be named to the Polynesian Player of the Year award watch list.

Oregon has had a long history of having great Polynesian players in the football program and that hasn’t changed.

Five current football players have been named to the watch list for the 2022 Polynesian Player of the Year award. Marcus Mariota took home the first award in 2014 and Penei Sewell also won it in 2019.

Defensive tackle Popo Aumavae, offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, linebackers Noah Sewell and Mase Funa as well as defensive lineman Taki Taimani have all been named to the watch list.

Sewell is definitely one of the favorites to win the award if he has the kind of year the Ducks are expecting the junior to have. If Sewell is to win the award, it would mark the first time in the award’s short history that players of the same family have been recipients.

The winner will be announced after the regular season is finished in December.

[listicle id=27499]

Dan Lanning offers injury update on OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu

It sounds like the injury to OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu is considered minor, according to Dan Lanning.

For the past couple of practices, former Oregon Ducks starting right tackle Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu has been absent.

He was with the team when fall camp started a little under a week ago, but once Monday rolled around, media members were no longer able to account for Aumavae-Laulu at practices. That trend continued on Tuesday for the Ducks’ fifth practice of the season.

After the session, head coach Dan Lanning met with media members and was asked about the health of his veteran offensive lineman, and whether he felt the injury was serious or not.

“Yeah, minor ding,” Lanning said of the injury to ‘Sala.’ “I think we’ll get him back here shortly.”

This early in the offseason, a minor injury is nothing that will tank a team’s chances at being competitive, so that should be considered good news on the injury front.

As for defensive lineman Maceal Afaese, who has also been absent from practice as of late, Lanning was less sure of a speedy return.

“His may be a little bit more longer term, we’ll see,” Lanning said.

For the most part, the Ducks are largely healthy heading into the season, with very few minor injuries here or there. We will keep an eye on Aumavae-Laulu over the next few days or weeks to see when he can return to the field.

[listicle id=27109]

Oregon OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu reverses course on 2022 NFL draft, returns to Ducks

Another big win for Dan Lanning, who apparently convinced Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu to return to Eugene instead of declaring for the 2022 NFL draft.

Not long after making the decision that he would be opting out of his final year with the Ducks and entering the 2022 NFL draft, Oregon offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu announced on Friday that he was changing his mind and deciding to return to Eugene for the 2022 season.

Aumavae-Laulu was one of many Ducks to opt into the draft this season and forgo their final year of eligibility, but the big lineman said on Twitter that it was a discussion with new coach Dan Lanning and the new staff that caused him to change his mind.

“A bring future requires, patience, greater skill development from a new tier of leaders, and a focused mindset,” Malaesala wrote. “I am more driven and focused than ever, and dedicated to tuning up the final pieces. I am excited to be part of a new dynasty under Coach Lanning and the new Oregon staff.”

[listicle id=15409]

Four Ducks are on the Polynesian Player of the Year watch list

Popo Aumavae, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Mase Funa, and Noah Sewell are all on the watch list for the 2021 Polynesian Player of the Year.

Marcus Mariota and Penei Sewell may have to move over.

Four Oregon football players, Popo Aumavae, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Mase Funa, and Noah Sewell have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2021 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced on Thursday.

The 2021 list is composed of 63 players from 31 different FBS schools. Oregon is one of six schools with at least four players on the watch list.

Oregon has a rich history with the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. Mariota, who also won the Heisman Trophy, was the inaugural recipient in 2014. Offensive lineman Penei Sewell took home the honor in 2019. Oregon is the only program to have had multiple players win the award as the Ducks are looking to make it three.

Five finalists will be unveiled on Nov. 30 with the winner being announced Dec. 14. The presentation of the award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week Celebration Dinner Jan. 21, 2022 and they will also be recognized at halftime of the Polynesian Bowl the very next day.

Among the four Ducks named, it’s likely Noah Sewell has the best chance to claim the award. The super freshman linebacker was the 2020 Coaches Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and was one of two true freshmen and the only among the Power 5 conferences to lead his team in tackles (45) in 2020.

The other three Ducks, Aumavae, Aumavae-Laulu, and Funa will all play major roles in defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s defense and are all expected to have great seasons.