Colts land Laiatu Latu: First defensive player picked in historic NFL Draft was once forced to retire from football

The consensus Associated Press First Team All-American defensive end led the nation with 21.5 tackles for loss and ranked fifth in FBS with 63 QB pressures in 2023.

DETROIT – After an NFL record 14 consecutive offensive players were selected in the top-half of the first round, the Indianapolis Colts upgraded its secondary and drafted UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A sea made of over 300,000 NFL fans assembled in downtown Detroit between Woodward and Michigan Ave, witnessing history with the longest streak of offensive players taken to start the draft in the modern draft era. Every defensive player was available when the Colts were officially on the clock and the war room ultimately decided to select the top defensive player on the draft board. Colts general manager Chris Ballard mentioned to reporters a week ago how strong the draft was on the offensive side of the football and foreshadowed Thursday’s outcome.

The consensus Associated Press First Team All-American defensive end led the nation with 21.5 tackles for loss and ranked fifth in FBS with 63 QB pressures in 2023. Latu posted career highs with 49 tackles, 13 sacks and two interceptions. It’s routine for Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to rotate an army of pass rushers. The 6-foot-5, 259-pounder has a high ceiling as the best pass rusher in the draft and can earn an immediate role starting on the defensive line that includes defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.

Latu was convinced to medically retire from football after suffering a serious neck injury before his sophomore campaign. After just one promising season at Washington, Latu was faced with the harsh reality that his career on the gridiron may come to an end. He decided to undergo neck fusion surgery and sat out the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Latu was treated by Dr. Robert Watkins, the same doctor who treated Colts legend Peyton Manning. The talent is undeniable, but Latu had some red flags due to his medical evaluation.

In 2022, Latu announced he was returning to the gridiron and transferring to UCLA. Latu emerged as one of the nation’s best pass rushers after earning First-Team All-Pac 12 honors as a junior. As a senior won the Lombardi Award, which is given to the nation’s top lineman, along with the Ted Hendricks Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive end. According to Pro Football Focus, Latu posted a 96.3 defensive grade and 94.3 pass rush grade, which were both the highest among all edge rushers. His 26.2% win rate was the second-highest among all defensive linemen. Latu compiled 24 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss during his three-year collegiate career.

Latu is a menace to opposing blockers and has a vast repertoire of moves to use at the line of scrimmage. His bull rush penetration is second-to-none in this draft class and he has the agility to rip through and shed blockers to set the edge. The Colts have found their premier edge rusher and beefed up a defensive front that eclipsed the franchise record with 51 sacks last season.