Nine weeks into the 2024 NFL season, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler put together his All-Rookie team at the halfway point, which inlcuded one member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Brugler went position-by-position and picked two players per group: the first-team selection and the runner-up.
Making an appearance in the runner-up category at defensive end was Laiatu Latu.
“Latu certainly has his moments when his polished rush sequencing leads to disruption, although he disappears for too many stretches,” wrote Brugler. “Despite having higher expectations as the first defensive player drafted, Latu has done enough to suggest his impact will continue to grow as he makes adjustments.”
When the Colts have been healthy at defensive end, they’ve tried to get Latu on the field during obvious passing situations, where he can pin his ears back to get after the quarterback.
Latu has been productive, although his numbers may not leap off the stat sheet. According to PFF, he’s recorded 20 pressures this season, which ranks 36th out of 120 edge defenders. He also has two sacks.
Out of that same group of edge rushers, Latu also ranks 31st in pass-rush win rate, an efficiency metric that measures how often a pass rusher is able to defeat their blocker. Winning at a relatively high rate consistently should result in more production.
Among the rookie class, Latu ranks second in pressures as well as in win rate, behind only the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Verse, who was Brugler’s first-team selection at defensive end.
Along with Latu, two other Colts’ rookies would make an appearance on this list, with Dalton Tucker and Tanor Bortolini in the honorable mention category of the interior offensive line position group.
