Odds for Colts' Laiatu Latu Winning DROY Revealed

The newest Indianapolis Colt finds himself among the favorites for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft has finally passed us, with the Indianapolis Colts opting to take one of the best defensive ends in the draft. Former UCLA star Laiatu Latu heard his name called with the 15th overall pick, sending the NCAA Division I sack leader since 2022 to Indianapolis. 

Latu was the first defensive player taken in the entire draft, putting an end to 14 straight offensive selections. His college numbers are elite, producing 27 sacks since 2022 along with the best pass rush win rate in the NCAA. 

There's a significant line between Laiatu Latu and the 2nd-best DE (250+ pass rush snaps) in P5 football.

Latu / 2nd place / 3rd place

PFF Pass Rush grade: 94.3 / 90.9 / 90.8
Sacks: 15 / 13 / 13
Pass Rush Production: 13.3 / 12.0 / 11.9
Win% (vs. blocks): 26.2% / 23.1% / 21.8%

— taylor from bite-sized bison (@ByTaylorL) April 26, 2024

Now labeled as one of the “biggest steals” in the first round, Latu will join a Colts defensive line that tallied the fifth-most sacks in the league last season. There was an opportunity for someone to explode onto the scene in Indianapolis and GM Chris Ballard made sure to take full advantage of that.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Not only are analysts considering it a match made in heaven, but sportsbooks too. Latu is the early favorite to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award according to sportsbetting.ag. Sitting at +350 odds, Latu finds himself placed above some of the draft’s best defenders in Dallas Turner (+450) and Quinyon Mitchell (+1000). 

The last DROY winner that Indianapolis saw was linebacker Shaquille Leonard, who was drafted as the fifth linebacker in his 2018 draft class. Leonard made his mark from day one, breaking the franchise’s tackle record in his rookie season. If Latu wants to cement himself as a star, he’ll have to have that same impact to come away with this award. 

Latu will see some new teammates by the end of the day as the second and third rounds of the NFL draft kick off at 8:00 p.m. ET in Detroit.

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.