Colts Select Edge Rusher Laiatu Latu with 15th Pick in NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts selected UCLA edge defender Laiatu Latu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 15th overall pick.

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; NFL Draft prospect Laiatu Latu walks the red carpet for NFL Draft / Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts had a stroke of luck come upon them on Thursday in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, as their top edge defender fell to them in UCLA's Laiatu Latu.

The draft got off to an unprecedented start as 14 consecutive offensive players were picked ahead of the Colts at 15, allowing Indy to have their pick of the litter on that side of the ball.

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The pick is met with some skepticism from the outside as Latu (6'5", 259) will turn 24 years old near the end of his rookie year, and he had to medically retire due to a neck injury in 2020, which cost him two years. He ultimately decided to return to football where he transferred away from the University of Washington and landed at UCLA.

While players like Dallas Turner or Jared Verse may be considered higher-upside players, Latu arguably does have the best tape among edge rushers in the class.

In the last two seasons for the Bruins, Latu was incredibly productive, totaling 23.5 sacks and 34.0 tackles for loss. In 2023, he was named a unanimous All-American and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Latu joins a Colts defensive end group featuring the likes of Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Dayo Odeyingbo, who combined for 26.0 sacks in 2023. However, all three as well as Tyquan Lewis are scheduled to hit free agency in the next two offseasons.

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