Report: Broncos Visit With Projected First-Round Pick

A non-QB target in Round 1?

Oct 21, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Laiatu Latu (15) walks on the / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Be it in a trade-down scenario or perhaps even at No. 12 overall, the Denver Broncos have an apparent level of interest in star UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu, whom they recently hosted on a pre-draft visit, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.

A projected first-round pick, Latu is fresh off a highly decorated season with the Bruins in which he totaled 13.0 sacks and led the FBS with 21.5 tackles for loss, adding two forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions across 12 starts. He earned a stellar 96.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest among all college pass-rushers.

The only red flag is his medicals, as Latu missed the 2020 and 2021 campaigns due to a serious neck injury. Otherwise, the 6-foot-5, 259-pound defender — who ran a 4.64 forty and recorded a nine-foot, eight-inch broad jump — checks every requisite box at the position, drawing comparisons to current Steelers superstar T.J. Watt.

"Latu possesses the kind of rare maturity to his game that you usually see from NFL veterans. He rarely stays blocked by tackles as a run defender and dominates blocking tight ends on the collegiate level," NFL.com draft guru Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting profile. "His pass-rush approach is both well conceived and instinctive, and he’s brilliant at taking possession of the rep using clever hands and slippery angles to pry open opportunities. His eyes play beyond blockers, and he feeds off of a voracious motor that keeps him pushing forward as a run defender and pass rusher. Concerns surrounding his neck injury (while at Washington) will certainly come into play when he gets to medical exams, but his durability and play at UCLA are certainly promising. Everything about Latu’s skill set and production is translatable to the NFL, and he could become a Pro Bowler as a 3-4 outside linebacker with a heavy influence on the game."

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Finding the Batman to OLB Baron Browning's Robin is arguably Denver's second-biggest need behind quarterback, and it appears there are contingencies in the event they don't net a passer on Day 1.

In addition to Latu, the Broncos will host Florida State's Jared Verse — another top EDGE prospect — on a top-30 meeting, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday. The club has also met with Houston Christian OLB Jalyx Hunt, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

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