STRENGTHS
Laiatu has the size, strength, and excellent athleticism to be a complete defensive lineman for the team that selects him. He can play multiple positions on the defensive line and in multiple styles of defensive front. He has the athleticism to be used as an ER/OLB in a 3/4 defense because of his coverage talents and fluid athleticism. Laiatu is a very underrated run defender because of his upper body strength to defeat bigger offensive linemen. He does a very good job setting the edge and changing the line of scrimmage in his favor against running plays. Laiatu can rush the passer if it is unleashed. He has the foot speed and burst to run down plays and pressure the quarterback. Laiatu has the same athletic talent and style of play to eventually be as impacting a player as Leonard Floyd has been for the team that selects him.
CONCERNS
Laiatu has the athletic talent to be an impact pass rusher but he still has a lot to learn. He has to become smarter, learn his own strengths and weaknesses, and find a coach who will unleash his talents. He has a very bad habit of coming off the line of scrimmage and hesitating looking for the RB or QB to break the pocket and then going for a sack or tackle for loss. He will have to learn to finish better than he does right now. That will come with experience, good coaching, and the right defensive system for him.
BOTTOM LINE: 1.78
Laiatu has gotten the bulk of his sacks against lesser offensive line competition, 3 against Coastal Carolina and 3 against Colorado out of his total 13 sacks in 2023. In 2022 he had a total of 9.5 sacks again against lesser talent, 3 against Colorado, and 2 against Alabama State. Most everyone is going to tell you that Laiatu is an excellent pass rusher and I suspect I will be the only one that tells you that right now, he is a better run defender than a pass rusher. If you want him to be a double-digit pass rusher then you are going to have to change his way of thinking on every play and that will come with time. Right now, he is looking to stop the run and then rush the passer. If he is used in a 3/4 defense as an ER/OLB I suspect that will continue and double-digit sacks might be difficult for him to attain. That being said he still should be an impact player in that style of defense. If you rotate him and develop him in a 4/3 defense as a down Edge Rusher I think a good coach will be able to unleash his talent to be a double-digit sack artist. Either way I think Laiatu will be a very good lineman for the team that selects him at any point in this draft.
