Seahawks NFL Draft Profile: Leki Fotu

Seeking a replacement for Al Woods at nose tackle, the massive Fotu would give Seattle's defense an immovable object in the middle of the trenches capable of creating havoc in the backfield as a run defender.

Over the course of the next several weeks, the Seahawks and 31 other teams will be evaluating the latest crop of incoming talent in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Up next in our prospect profiles series, the Seahawks lost an underrated part of their defense from a year ago when defensive tackle Al Woods left for the Jaguars as a free agent. Leaving huge shoes to fill, Utah standout Leki Fotu may be the perfect fit to take over as Seattle's run-stuffing nose tackle in Woods' absence.

Strengths

Few nose tackles dominated at the FBS level quite like Fotu, who earned First-Team All-Pac-12 recognition each of his final two seasons with the Utes and was named a Third-Team All-American as a senior. Over his final three seasons, he produced 81 tackles and 17 tackles for loss as the anchor of Utah's defensive line.

An immovable object at times against single blocks, Fotu plays with heavy hands and once he gets his arms extended, he has no issue driving linemen into the backfield with his tremendous power. When he maintains a wide base, he can be difficult to move on double teams as well.

A former rugby star, Fotu offers surprising athleticism at 330 pounds and moves fluidly for a player of his massive size. Along with overpowering blockers at the point of attack, he'll occasionally penetrate gaps to blow up plays, which helped him rack up 17 tackles for loss over the past three years.

Again drawing upon his experiences as a rugby player, few defenders in this draft class play harder than Fotu, who can be seen chasing plays down the line that few nose tackles are capable of making. He plays to the whistle and will also get his hands up as a pass rusher for an occasional pass deflection.

Weaknesses

While possessing plus-athleticism compared to most players of his girth, Fotu wasn't much of a pass rushing threat throughout his college career and will likely be limited to early downs in the NFL. He produced just 4.0 sacks in four seasons and aside from an occasional successful bull rush, he's not going to generate much pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Starring in the Pac-12, Fotu's pure power often allowed him to overcome fundamental issues. He has a tendency to get too narrow with his base and plays upright out of his stance too frequently, which will be problematic setting anchor against more powerful, technically-savvy NFL offensive linemen as well as double teams at nose tackle.

Fotu has only been playing football since his senior year of high school and received a medical red flag at the NFL combine, so prospective teams may have concerns about his lack of experience and longevity. The inability to get a second medical checkup with teams individually due to COVID-19 could cause him to free fall a bit in the draft.

Where He Fits in Seattle

Since John Schneider arrived as general manager in 2010, the Seahawks have typically relied on wily veterans on short-term deals to play valuable snaps as a big-bodied, rotational nose tackle, with Woods being just the latest example in 2019. In earlier years, Ahtyba Rubin and Tony McDaniel filled that role effectively into their 30s.

Based on past precedent, Seattle will likely go shopping for another veteran like Woods following the draft, especially after the compensatory pick deadline passes in early May. But that shouldn't deter Schneider from picking Fotu if he's still available at pick No. 101 or later in the draft.

Though he offers minimal value as a pass rusher, Fotu chews up space in the interior to keep linebackers free to make plays while also being capable of blowing up runs in the backfield. He's also coming from a well-coached program at Utah in which Seattle drafted two defensive players last season.

From a size and skill set standpoint, Fotu checks off numerous boxes for the Seahawks and by using a mid-round pick on him, the team would have a long-term option at nose tackle under club control through the 2023 season.