UCLA Football: Laiatu Latu Heads to Inconsistent NFC Squad in Latest NFL Mock Draft
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The UCLA Bruins defense was among the best in the nation in 2023. The Bruins had all the pieces to turn that part of the team around, including their star edge rusher, Laiatu Latu. Latu had himself one heck of a season. Now, the senior edge rusher is heading into the next chapter of his life: the NFL.
Latu is ranked among the best players in his position and is the number 12th overall prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. The only question is: where will he go?
According to Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, he has the 23-year-old heading to the Chicago Bears with the number nine pick in the draft.
The Chicago defense took steps in the second half of the season but throw it into hyperdrive with the selection of Laiatu Latu. Montez Sweat and Latu take the worst pass rush from the first half of the 2023 season and make it one of the NFC's formidable units.
Latu is a force to be reckoned with; the numbers and his awards show it. The two-year Bruin recorded 40 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, two interceptions, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles.
There's nothing Latu can't do on the defensive end, and the Bears could be a team to benefit from his premier skill. Although the Bears were the number one rush defense, they struggled mightily with their pass defense, scoring defense, third down defense, and red zone defense. Latu would add more to their rush defense, along with helping bolster those other defensive categories.
It'll be a shock to see Latu drop past the top half of the NFL draft. Any team he goes to, he'll improve their defense immediately.
