NFL Analyst Ranks Colts Laiatu Latu Among Best from Preseason

Indianapolis Colts rookie Laiatu Latu is already establishing himself as a force in the defensive trenches.

The Indianapolis Colts went into the 2024 preseason opener against the Denver Broncos with confidence in their young players and draft picks from April prior. The top pick for this year's class from the Colts was defensive end Laiatu Latu, and he showed on Sunday why he warranted such a high spot. While Latu didn't see the field a ton on Sunday, it was enough of a performance to put the rest of the league on notice.

In a recent breakdown from Bleacher Report's NFL analyst, Brent Sobleski, he details the top rookie performers from across the league in the preseason. Latu finds himself firmly in the top 10 at number eight. Here's what Sobleski says of the 15th overall selection and top defensive pick:

"Last season, the Colts finished top-five in sacks. Yet Gus Bradley's unit didn't feature a true pass-rusher capable of regularly winning one-on-one opportunities. Latu can. It started to show during his first appearance."

- Brent Sobleski | Bleacher Report

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Sobleski also points out that Latu's stat sheet might lead fans astray. He only logged a single tackle for the contest. However, Latu was constantly forcing the Broncos to adjust and allocate resources to his side to block and ensure he didn't hit Jarrett Stidham. In fact, on his first NFL snap, Denver made certain Latu wouldn't have an impact, directing a tight end chip and keeping the running back behind the tackle for protection on three layers. Despite this attention and execution, Latu still forced good things to happen, and was integral in cornerback Kenny Moore II's interception.

Laiatu Latu brings a different pace and finesse than other Colts' pass rushers. Really fun to see him go to work pic.twitter.com/y35cDe4CET

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) August 12, 2024

Indianapolis Colts on SI's Zach Hicks posted on X:

"Laiatu Latu brings a different pace and finesse than other Colts' pass rushers. Really fun to see him go to work"

Latu is only one preseason game into his NFL career and is already getting respected by other teams on the field. The ceiling for Latu with Charlie Partridge and a defensive front with players like Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, DeForest Buckner, and Grover Stewart around him, he may hit the ground running with explosiveness to start the 2024 season.

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