Rams Draft UCLA 'Redemption Story' Laiatu Latu in Latest NFL Mock

Los Angeles Rams Draft UCLA 'Redemption Story' Defensive End Laiatu Latu in Latest NFL Mock

The Los Angeles Rams' season has come to a close, but after a strong midseason turnaround in 2023 that led to a playoff berth, L.A.'s faithful are hoping for a Super Bowl run in 2024.

In order to reach those heights, the Rams will have to draft well, and mock drafts are already rolling in before the conclusion of the postseason. In the latest projection from FanNation, Los Angeles is slated to select defensive end Laiatu Latu from the UCLA Bruins.

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Latu has only played three college seasons, but the reason behind his absence is a pure "redemption story," according to Athlon Sports. Here's what the publication had to say about the prospect who began his career with the Washington Huskies:

"He played sparingly as a true freshman before injuring his neck during practices for the 2020 season. By spring of 2021, Washington had announced that Latu had medically retired due to complications from that same neck injury.

"And yet, Latu remained with the program for 2021 before announcing he was entering the transfer portal in 2022. He committed to UCLA and was cleared to play by team physicians that spring. He’s been a menace off the edge for UCLA ever since."

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Latu put up solid stats in his senior campaign with the Bruins, totaling 49 tackles off the edge, 28 of which were solo. He also forced two fumbles and lived in the nightmares of opposing quarterbacks, putting up 13 sacks this season, part of a 23.5-sack run over the last two years.

A native of Sacremento, California, Latu measures in at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, and he played his prep ball at Jesuit H.S.