Few young defenders in football have ascended faster than Laiatu Latu, and as the Indianapolis Colts prepare for a Week 9 battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his impact could again prove decisive.
A 2024 first-round pick out of UCLA, the powerful yet fluid and nuanced Latu has already developed into one of the league’s most refined young pass rushers -- and with 32 pressures and 3 sacks through seven games, his ability to tilt protection schemes and disrupt timing could define how this one unfolds.
At 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, Latu has become the prototype of a modern edge defender: explosive enough to win with burst, technical enough to counter with hand usage, and disciplined enough to hold his edge against the run.