NFL Draft Profile: Cameron Latu, Tight End, Alabama Crimson Tide
#81
Pos: TE
Ht: 6042
Wt: 242
Hand: 0948
Arm: 3238
Wing: 7928
40: 4.75
DOB:2/24/2000
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
High School: Olympus
Eligibility: 2023
Cameron Latu
Alabama Crimson Tide
One-Liners
The arrow is pointing up with Latu, as he has all the tools to be one of the top tight ends in next year’s draft.
Evaluation:
There are a lot of pros to Latu’s game and his inexperience at the position gives him some of the best upside in next year’s class. Latu hadn’t played more than 55 snaps at tight end at Alabama coming into the 2021 campaign, as he was a converted defensive end. Latu is an easy mover for his size, with very good athleticism. He is a fluid athlete, who does a fantastic job of getting in and out of his breaks. The natural ability to change direction is there with Latu, allowing him to create separation. Latu has good speed for the tight end position and can create yards after the catch when given opportunities. Alabama didn’t incorporate Latu that often in their offense until the national championship game but he looked excellent against Georgia in that game as a receiver. Latu’s speed, athleticism and size will make him tough to stop as a receiver at the next level. Right now, Latu still has a number of areas he needs to improve on. His hands are inconsistent and he isn’t a natural pass catcher. At times he’ll bobble the football or catch it with his body and Latu struggled to pluck the football out of the air or make catches in stride on film. This could be a product of inexperience but Latu will need to drastically improve his hands to get on the field early in the NFL. As a blocker, Latu has the size to be effective but his technique is all over the place. This area of his game will get better, as he just looks like he is overthinking things as a blocker. The play-strength and length Latu possesses should make him at least a good blocker by the time he declares for the draft. Latu is utilized in-line and as a big slot and should play both positions at the next level. Overall, Latu flashes a lot of upside as a receiver, he just has some areas to his game that need to improve before he can step onto an NFL field. He is firmly a day two player, as it is hard to find Latu’s traits and as long as he takes the next step in his development, Latu should be one of the top tight end prospects in the 2023 draft.
Grade:
3rd Round
Background:
Cameron Latu has been in Alabama since 2018, and he truly broke out in 2021, where he set the record for touchdowns by a tight end for the Crimson Tide with eight and was seventh in SEC touchdowns. Latu has also been a key contributor on special teams for the Tide and made his first college tackle on special teams. In high school, he was looked at as a defensive end showing his versatility at Alabama by making the switch to offense and being a main target in the offense. Latu is from Salt Lake City, and in 2022, he will look to be a top target for the Tide’s offense.
