It’s Mock Draft season, and the USA Today has put out an early mock draft. Yes, we know mock drafts before free agency, the combine, and in-person visits aren’t all that meaningful, but they are still fun to look at.
With Pick #21 in Round 1, Sports Illustrated has Miami selecting…
21. Miami Dolphins: DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
No team is ever satisfied with its supply of pass rushers, especially one that lost Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips to major late-season leg injuries.
Strengths
- Has a strong and compact frame with good mass and solid length.
- Explosive, unnaturally energized rusher with the control to offset and exploit blockers.
- Twitched-up energy allows him to instantly recalibrate hands after initial moves.
- Possesses elite ankle flexion for his size and routinely uses flexibility to finish reps.
- With hip flexibility, can redirect at the apex and pinch 270-degree angles to the QB.
- Can sustain acceleration while dipping below the corner and pinching the pocket.
- Flashes the ability to leverage his burst into force and power through interior gaps.
- Advanced hand-fighter whose hips rest on a gyroscope, unlocking torque on punches.
- Understands rushing angles and knows how to manipulate tackles to open paths.
- Stacks inside-outside hand counters and combos with rare quickness and efficiency.
- Can win with swims, chop-clubs, chop-rips, club-rips, and other lightning-quick volleys.
- Deep pass-rushing bag allows him to have a counter for any situation and any leverage.
- Has shown he has the play strength and leveraging to stack and shed run blockers.
- Relentless attacker whose motor never dies, granting second- and third-effort chances.
- Athletic and fluid enough to drop in coverage, hinge around, and patrol the flats.
Weaknesses
- Arm length isn’t elite, which does detract a bit from raw power capacity.
- Doesn’t always take advantage of opportunities to drive forward inside the blocker’s frame.
- First-step explosiveness might be a notch below the elite tier.
- Occasionally diverts too far upright when stunting across alignments.
- Doesn’t always have the elite strength to pry himself through gaps after stunting.
- Can be jarred by violent snatch moves when threatening the apex.
- Sometimes loses his balance and is uncontrolled when attempting to set the edge.
- Lower-body strength can improve in run defense in order to more often prevent displacement.
- Will turn 24 years old in December of his rookie season.
- Medically retired from football while at Washington due to a neck injury.
