The best pass rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft has been dominating Senior Bowl practices all week long
The Senior Bowl is stacked with solid pass rushing talent, but one of them stands out above the crowd. Laiatu Latu, EDGE UCLA is the best pass rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft. He posted back to back seasons with double digit sacks. He reached the quarterback to create pressure on over 20% of his […]
The Senior Bowl is stacked with solid pass rushing talent, but one of them stands out above the crowd.
Laiatu Latu, EDGE UCLA is the best pass rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft. He posted back to back seasons with double digit sacks. He reached the quarterback to create pressure on over 20% of his pass rush snaps (more than any other edge defender in this draft class). And he's been making easy work of nearly every offensive tackle at the Senior Bowl this week.
How does Latu make it look so easy? How does he win so consistently? And what has he done to make him the best pass rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft? I met with him today after the second day of Senior Bowl practice to find out.
Versatile Pass Rush Skill Set
According to Laiatu Latu he is always learning "different moves that I can create and come up with" so he is ready and flexible to react to any type of offensive lineman.
"How I look at pass rush is being comfortable in uncomfortable situations." – Laiatu Latu
Latu is always looking for new ways to make his pass rush arsenal more versatile, then repeats his new techniques and methods until they become second nature. That way when he's put into an uncomfortable situation Latu has an answer for exactly how opposing offensive lineman are attacking him.
He says this approach "makes it easier to get to the quarterback, because as [I'm] rushing I'm not thinking about one move. I'm reacting to what the tackle's giving me and [the right move] will just come out because I've repped it so many times."
Learning from the Best
When asked about who he models his game after and has studied to improve his game the first name he mentioned was Joe Tryon, current Tampa Bay Buccaneers star edge defender. The two of them were teammates for the Washington Huskies before Tryon entered the NFL.
Tryon has "been [Latu's] big brother ever since being at Washington, took [Latu] under his wing, and showed [Latu] what success looks like," and the two still exchange pass rushing clips to this day. Latu "steals those moves" and that helps improve his game.
He's also spent time studying current NFL greats like Maxx Crosby, TJ Watt, Trey Hendrickson, and Montez Sweat to help improve his pass rushing skills. It seems Latu is a true student of the game, constantly learning, taking the next steps to make him the best that he can be.
Knowing How He Fits Into Every Snap
Perhaps what makes him the most lethal is his detail-oriented preparation and ability to understand exactly how he fits into every defensive snap. And not just his role, but understanding every role of each player on the defense, and how that will impact how he can attack on every single snap.
This uncanny ability was highlighted when discussing UCLA's special "NASCAR" package with the pass rushing twins, Gabriel & Grayson Murphy, both on the field with him.
On top of being 6'5", 261 pounds with a wingspan just shy of seven feet it's clear that Latu has a special mind for the game of football. He understands how the location and role of his defensive back teammates can affect his optimal pass rush strategies. He constantly adjusts pre- and post-snap to how offenses are trying to slow him down. It's hard to find an aspect of his game that suggests he's anything but an elite edge defender.
Some skeptics will still have questions due to his medical retirement in 2021 (due to a neck injury), but that certainly didn't stop him from racking up nearly 30 sacks in the last two seasons.
Laiatu Latu is simply the best pass rusher in this draft class and will continue to prove it throughout NFL Draft season.
Be looking for more content like this all week long and throughout NFL Draft season from the A to Z team. If you have any questions or comments feel free to reach out to me directly @FF_TravisM on X.
