Las Vegas Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: TE Cameron Latu, Alabama

The Las Vegas Raiders enter the off-season with only one tight end under contract on the active roster.

Whether they re-sign or bring in a player from free agency, Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler should consider selecting a tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Fortunately for the Silver and Black, this year’s draft class offers a large group of productive tight ends that can be selected later in the draft.

This off-season, we'll be working alongside SI’s Draft Bible to get you the latest information on any potential tight ends the Raiders may consider drafting.

“We’re going to continue to find players who fit what we look for, and continue to build this team in our vision, and I think we’re going to, at the same time, our goal is to win football games, and our goal for next year is to make an improvement over where we were this year,” Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler said.

Tight End Cameron Latu, Alabama Crimson Tide

The 6-5, 244-pound tight end has developed into one of the best prospects in this year’s draft class.

“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,” Draft Bible said of Latu.

Cameron Latu, is a TE to watch this week at the @seniorbowl. He is not overly athletic, but is a reliable target.

Here we see him with strong hands reach up and snags this ball out of the air while keeping the ball away from his body through the catch. #FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/XsYqpfQEY1
— Jeremy (@PopesFFH) January 29, 2023

Primarily recruited as an edge rusher, Latu transitioned to a special teams specialist before moving up to a spot on offense as a tight end.

The Alabama product has good speed for a tight end and can create yards after the catch.

The speed, athleticism, and size made him tough to bring down once he was implemented on offense, but as he transitions to the NFL, he will have to gain more weight and develop more into an NFL tight end, as he has played that position for only two seasons.

“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,” Draft Bible added.

Latu excelled in his first season as a tight end in 2021 when he made up 26 receptions for 410 years and set the program record with eight receiving touchdowns in a season from a tight end.

Converted OLB, Cameron Latu set the Bama record for receiving TDs by a TE in 2021.

I'm excited to hear about how he looks down at the Senior Bowl. pic.twitter.com/aew8DYUv76
— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) January 27, 2023

The now-settled tight end missed the first game of the 2022 season due to injury but would start the final 11 games for the Crimson Tide, finishing with 30 receptions for 377 yards and four touchdowns.

In his last showing in the Reese’s Senior Bowl, he earned Practice Player-of-the-Week honors from his peers for the American team and would haul in three receptions for 30 yards on the game.

BREAKING: Alabama’s Cam Latu (@cameronlatu) has been voted American team’s TE Practice Player-of-Week by vote from his peers in American LB and DB groups.#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/y6swpzei2R
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 3, 2023

An area where he showed tremendous growth was as a blocker, in addition to a bit more precision in his route running and pass-catching abilities. He sure looked more comfortable in the tight-end position.

“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,” Draft Bible concluded in his scouting report.

Latu’s draft selection is a favorite for many teams in the league, especially with how many tight ends there are in this year’s class.

Not many teams will use a high draft pick on a tight end unless they are sure he is a starting-caliber player, so I see the Raiders drafting Latu with their sixth-round (204th overall) pick.

Unless teams start to draft early for tight ends, I see him coming off the board on the third day of the draft.

The Raiders can pick up a developmental tight end with so much potential to become a great tight end in the league, and seeing him grow alongside Darren Waller can bring a threat Coach Josh McDaniels would love to have in his offense.

The NFL Draft will occur at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., from Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29. ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network will broadcast all seven rounds.

The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. Starting at 12 p.m. EDT on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EDT on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

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