Colts Select Laiatu Latu Edge UCLA

[Myles]

Post-Draft Analysis

The Colts' base 4-3 defense needs another pass-rusher off the edge after missing on a few previous selections in the second round. Latu is pro-ready with an array of pass rush tools at his disposal. Indianapolis posted 51 sacks last season, the fifth best in the league, but finding a potential premier defensive end in a league where nearly every team is running a three-person rotation is smart team building. 

 

[2006Coltsbestever]

4 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Not a fan personally. I think Turner will have a better career.

Same here, I hope I am wrong. 

[DoubleE Colt]

I don't really know why people are going on about his back/neck injury issue. It was well documented and you would think that it would have been looked over and scrutinized in the medicals. There is pretty much no analyst who doesn't have him down as a first round pick on their board.

[SurfinKal]

welcome to Indy Uce!

[ArmchairQB]

Is this an admission of failure on Paye?  They literally had their pick of any defensive player in this draft and they go EDGE again?!   I’m losing my patience with Ballard. 
 

appears the Vikings were shocked as well. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Apparently he medically retired 2 years ago lol. It will be funny when colts can’t cover and we are still blaming the dline.

[ThorstenDenmark]

I know how negative I am right now, but neither Latu nor Richardson will complete the upcoming season due to injuries.... honestly... I don´t trust their medical history as they will get banged up in the NFL.

 

Latu is Vander Esch 2.0 and Richardson is made of glass.

[Defjamz26]

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Just now, ArmchairQB said:

Is this an admission of failure on Paye?  They literally had their pick of any defensive player in this draft and they go EDGE again?!   I’m losing my patience with Ballard. 

My guess is he won’t have his option picked up.

[Tsarquise]

11 minutes ago, Shepman said:

In the words of a Bruce Ariens no risk it no biscuit

Wouldn't this be applied to a trade up move? 

[IndyEV]

8 minutes ago, Captain_Colts1317 said:

Can’t deny the talent. Has top 5 talent if not for the injury concerns. I don’t mind the pick here. If it works out you got a high end edge rusher that everyone here complains about not happening. Pass rush also helps the secondary. 

Sounds like the old guy scout in the Moneyball movie while Ballard is playing Billy Beane!? Cant do this in the NFL!

[TheEdgeis1]

2 minutes ago, ArmchairQB said:

Is this an admission of failure on Paye?  They literally had their pick of any defensive player in this draft and they go EDGE again?!   I’m losing my patience with Ballard. 

Paye is an edge setter not a pass rush specialist.  At least that’s what he has evolved into.

[holeymoley99]

Won both Lombardi and Ted Hendricks award last season, best edge in draft. Many mocks had him going earlier, we need a premier DE and we can pair him with Ebukam. Both Paye and Dayo are going to be gone soon if they dont step it up. We simply didnt get enough pressure last season on QB (When we did we converted and turned into sacks but we didnt win enough). 

[indyagent17]

8 minutes ago, Solon said:

He'd probably be a top 10 pick if it wasn't for the injury history. I'm not saying I agree with the pick, but I understand it. 

He was the first pic overall defensively

[CheezyColt]

I thought it'd be Turner but Latu is great too. Obviously the injury history is risky, but we got our pick of the litter defensively and Id have been upset if we went offense at this point. Welcome to the Colts Mr. Latu! Wreck these QBs!

[GoColts8818]

Colts got the best defensive player on their board and maybe addressed their biggest need and didn’t give up a thing to do it.  What a masterful job from Ballard staying patient.

[Defjamz26]

Skill over traits IMO although Latu checked the athleticism box:

 

 

[GoColts8818]

Just now, CheezyColt said:

I thought it'd be Turner but Latu is great too. Obviously the injury history is risky, but we got our pick of the litter defensively and Id have been upset if we went offense at this point. Welcome to the Colts Mr. Latu! Wreck these QBs!

Injury history is the same injury Peyton had done by the same doctor.  Should be good to go.

[Stephen]

11 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

This is a horrible pick.

No it isn't if he stays healthy 

[GoColts8818]

2 minutes ago, TheEdgeis1 said:

Paye is an edge setter not a pass rush specialist.  At least that’s what he has evolved into.

Yeah I see this as more of a threat to Dayo who will also be a free agent at season’s end.

[w87r]

You know Coach Partridge was integral in this selection.

 

 

Paye could be moved, potentially during the draft? Doubt they pick his option up now.

 

Or Dayo?

[nsurg]

So he had a cervical fusion... this is a surgery I do frequently.  Once it heals the surgery is more or less the strongest part of the neck.  The biggest problems with a fusion in this context are:

(1) loss of nerve function prior to surgery may or may not recover after surgery, usually over the next 3-12 months (but his production after surgery implies no major concern on this)

(2) the patient will have somewhat accelerated wear/arthritis at non fused levels.  While this is a real concern, it will unfortunately be more of an issue for him later in life, after his NFL career.

 

Peyton had this surgery as his final neck surgery before playing for the broncos, but his problem was number one above, he apparently never had the same arm strength as before.

Ahmad Bradshaw also had this same surgery in 2013, he already had I think 6 years of RB play prior to that.  His YPC held up but was utilized less, but this may mirror more a tapering RB career.

 

I'm not personally worried about the medical status of this player, but I have no idea the actual details obviously.  I will say that very few surgeons would be eager to clear the player to play afterwards, mostly for the stupid liability things in medicine.

 

I think it's fair to say we got a really nice pick here for value.

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

Hopefully this guy is our next freeney. If he is we won’t care. 

[ThorstenDenmark]

1 minute ago, Stephen said:

No it isn't if he stays healthy 

Quite a big IF

[DoubleE Colt]

6 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Apparently he medically retired 2 years ago lol. It will be funny when colts can’t cover and we are still blaming the dline.

That was well known before the draft......it's not like Ballard only just worked this out! 

[ArmchairQB]

4 minutes ago, TheEdgeis1 said:

Paye is an edge setter not a pass rush specialist.  At least that’s what he has evolved into.

Yea agreed,  but you don’t take a EDGE in the 1st round to just be an edge setter. 

[holeymoley99]

ESPN had him mocked at 8 to Atlanta

[Mikemccoy84]

Good thing is corners are dropping so could be a really good defensive draft for us

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

My guess with this pick colts go sign a vet corner after the draft. 

[TheEdgeis1]

1 minute ago, ArmchairQB said:

Yea agreed,  but you don’t take a EDGE in the 1st round to just be an edge setter. 

Hind sight is always 20/20

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

3 minutes ago, w87r said:

You know Coach Partridge was integral in this selection.

 

 

Paye could be moved, potentially during the draft? Doubt they pick his option up now.

 

Or Dayo?

I bet Dayo gets extended. 

[GoColts8818]

Just now, holeymoley99 said:

ESPN had him mocked at 8 to Atlanta

Oh yeah Colts took big advantage of the defensive guys sliding and the run on offense.  That’s why I said the Colts first round pick would depend on how the draft feel.  It played out for Ballard to get the top defensive player on their board and addressed their largest need that’s been there really since Mathis retired.  If this pick hits what a masterful job by Ballard of staying patient.  

[James]

19 minutes ago, w87r said:

 

 

 

I trust Baldy and Ballard.

[w87r]

Defensive Line:

DE:(8) Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, Dayo Odeyingbo, Tyquan Lewis, Titus Leo, Isaiah Land, Genard Avery 

 

DT:(6) Deforest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Raekwon Davis, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Taven Bryan, Eric Johnson

 

 

Hopefully we will be able to get Land and Leo to the practice squad?

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Sounds like yannik. lol

 

 

[runtelldat]

Love this pick!!! Best Edge in draft. If not for injury (2 years removed and great tape) he'd be top 10 pick. This kid is legit! Going to get after those AFC South young guns and take them down... Good stuff! 

[GoColts8818]

3 minutes ago, DoubleE Colt said:

That was well known before the draft......it's not like Ballard only just worked this out! 

It’s the same surgery Peyton had.  I know Ballard wasn’t here for that whole saga but Irsay was and you can bet the Colts were extremely well informed on that surgery.  Irsay may know more about that surgery and impact it has on you than anyone else in the league after the whole Peyton surgery.  It was also done by Peyton’s doctor.  I think it’s a non factor which is why he was on top of the Colts defensive board.

[James]

 

 

[GoColts8818]

5 minutes ago, Mikemccoy84 said:

Good thing is corners are dropping so could be a really good defensive draft for us

I think they are going to go before the end of the first round and I doubt Ballard trades back into the first round.  Honestly, I’ve always felt they are likely to trade back in the second round anyway.

[colts89]

16 minutes ago, ArmchairQB said:

Is this an admission of failure on Paye?  They literally had their pick of any defensive player in this draft and they go EDGE again?!   I’m losing my patience with Ballard. 
 

appears the Vikings were shocked as well. 

Paye - 1st 

Dayo - 2nd

Banagou - 2nd

 

That's a ton of backups that Ballard and team have picked at DE.

 

I mean, yes it is. I don't know enough about this guy to say much about him, but this pick essentially means that Paye and Dayo are being relegated to backups (who cost a ton of capital).

 

The fact that his university (Washington) told him to retire due to his neck injury is extremely concerning. Especially after all the fun stuff we as Colts fan went through with Leonard. I hope it works out but I definitely didn't think pass rush was a big concern for the Colts. I'd rather have picked CB if we were going to go defense.