Laiatu Latu fits in Colts system like a sequin glove

 “I just thought it might be the right fit because Kwity Paye was over there, who I got to work with our pass rush coach Eddy (McGilvra),” Latu said.

DETROIT — Indianapolis Colts first round draft pick Laiatu Latu is a polished edge rusher with a myriad of moves to wreak havoc in the backfield.

At some point, every football player has to decide when to officially hang the cleats up. Some players decide at 18, while others are blessed with 18-year careers, but the decision is inevitable. Four years ago, it would have been almost tantalizing to project Latu as the first defensive prospect to be selected in the draft. On Thursday in Detroit, he broke a historic streak of 14 consecutive offensive players picked to begin the draft. His testimony is one of perseverance after a serious neck injury took away his football career for two full seasons.

“Like our doctors said, he just played two full years with it and had (23.5) sacks,” Colts GM Chris Ballard told reporters in Thursday’s press conference. “So, we think we just got the best defensive player in the draft. I thought we got a little lucky on it.”

The 2023 consensus First-Team All-American presents a tenacious approach to burst past tackles off the edge or stunt inside and use heavy hands against interior linemen. Latu earned 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 21.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. He posted the highest win rate in a true pass set of any collegiate edge rusher over the past decade. According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Latu posted the highest production score and overall score among edge rushers.

Once Latu informally met with Indianapolis during the draft interview process, he had a gut feeling that he met the perfect match. Latu fits in Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s Cover 3 system like a glove. His innate ability to win battles and penetrate the backfield will allow the secondary to cover deep without having to send a blitz. Ballard mentioned the Colts upgraded defensive front is the best since he took over as GM in 2018. Latu trained with private defensive line coach Eddy McGilvra, who has worked with Colts defensive linemen Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Adetomiwa Adebawore.

“I just thought it might be the right fit because Kwity Paye was over there, who I got to work with our pass rush coach Eddy (McGilvra),” Latu said. “Just seeing their pass rush ability, being able to affect the quarterback and making openings for the interior d-linemen. I felt like I couldn’t wait and I can see myself playing with them.”

Despite facing immense adversity, Latu made sure if he got another opportunity to play football again, that he would never take his foot off the gas pedal. He didn’t just defy the odds to make a comeback, he put in the work to elevate his game to another level. His inspirational odyssey stems from proving medical professionals wrong and discovering another program through the transfer portal, to becoming one of the nation’s most sought after pass rushers.