Could UCLA Edge Rusher Laiatu Latu Fall to Rams in NFL Draft?
The Los Angeles Rams have not made a first-round pick since 2016 when they selected Jared Goff, but the amount of talent in this year's draft could cause that to change.
The Rams were in the bottom ten in the NFL this past year in sacks, and the team could stand to draft an edge rusher in the draft. And perhaps the best "pure edge rusher" in this year's class is UCLA senior Laiatu Latu.
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He is regarded as one of the best defensive linemen in the class, and he could be an intriguing fit for the Rams. In any other case, a player of his magnitude would not fall to the Rams at No. 19, but Latu has a bit of a concerning injury history.
Latu suffered a neck injury at the University of Washington, and it was serious enough to where the young linemen had to effectively retire from football in 2020. He then transferred to UCLA, was medically cleared to play, and is now one of the best prospects in the class.
He finished his senior season with an impressive 13 sacks and 49 total tackles. His 6-4, 260-pound frame makes Latu a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks and also would make him one of the more physically imposing young edge rushers in the NFL.
Latu will be a player on a lot of different team's radars who are looking for help on the defensive line, including the Rams. The one question is, could the team get lucky enough to be able to draft Latu at No. 19?
