With the Indianapolis Colts on their bye week, let’s take a look back at how their 2024 rookie class is performing, beginning with first-round pick Laiatu Latu.
PFF grade: 73.2
Rank among rookie DEs: 2nd
Rank among all DEs: 31st
Stats to know: On the season, Latu has recorded 33 pressures, including four sacks. Those 33 pressures are tied for 40th among his position group, while Latu ranks 30th in pass rush win rate. In run defense grade, Latu ranks 54th.
Breakdown: Early on in the season, the Colts prioritized Latu being on the field on more obvious passing downs where he could go get after the quarterback.
However, injuries to the defensive end position forced Latu into a larger role as the season progressed, and with those added reps, we saw a greater impact from him as he gained more experience. Of his 33 pressures in 13 games, 16 have come in the last five games. His run defense grade from PFF has also improved quite a bit during that span as well.
Like really any first year player, there is a learning curve that Latu is navigating as he makes the jump to the NFL. But as his pass-rush win rate number indicates, he’s winning his matchups consistently, and when that happens, the production will eventually follow–which is what we seem to be seeing now.
What’s worth watching in the final weeks is Latu’s playing time. Against New England, he would play only 29 snaps. This could be a product of the Colts being healthier up front with Tyquan Lewis back in the mix or perhaps it was more situational with the Patriots running the ball often.
What Gus Bradley had to say about Latu: “We’ve seen it in practice and in the games that it’s slowly coming and like I mentioned before the conversations with him is just keep going,” said Bradley before the New England game. “The opportunities will come and he made a big play for us. He’s made some other chase tackles, I think he ran down a screen, he set the edge, the week before the flare screen.
“He’s really evolved to where not only is he a rusher, he can rush the passer, but he’s got really good football instincts,” added Bradley. “His chase and run ability, the effort that he shows on tape, all those things are putting him in a position to make some big plays for us.”
