UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu will wear a different shade of blue as begins his NFL career as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Latu was picked 15th overall to become the first defender taken after the draft started with 14 straight offensive players, an NFL Draft record, being picked in Detroit.
“It definitely becomes fuel,” Latu said on NFL Network about the offensive players taken ahead of him.
He wasn’t expected to be drafted in the first half of the first round because of his medical history.
First defender off the board is a Colt.
#NFLDraft on ESPN/ABC/NFLN pic.twitter.com/GZ6GOuRYz1
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 26, 2024
Latu was forced to medically retire in 2021 due to a neck injury but sought out a second opinion from doctors and was able to return to the field.
Latu is coming off a season in which he was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and was awarded the Lombardi and Ted Hendricks trophies. He finished his UCLA career with 85 total tackles (34 for a loss), 23.5 sacks and two interceptions in 25 games played. He also forced five fumbles and recovered a fumble.
The edge rusher was previously in Indianapolis for the NFL combine and it remains unclear what interest the Colts had shown Latu throughout the draft process.
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More to come on this story.
