Indianapolis Colts draft first defensive player with No. 15 pick
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts bolster their defense by selecting Laiatu Latu with the No. 15 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Latu is a 6’5, 265-pound defensive end from UCLA.
With the Bruins in 2023, Latu won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top offensive or defensive lineman, and the Ted Hendricks Award as the country’s No. 1 defensive end.
Latu was twice named First-Team All-Pac-12, earning the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award and earning a unanimous spot on the 2023 All-America team.
The 23-year-old played 12 games at Washington as a freshman, but he sustained a neck injury ahead of his sophomore year with the Huskies.
Washington’s team doctors advised Latu to medically retire after missing the entirety of his second year.
After two years off, Latu transferred to UCLA where he was cleared to play and ultimately racked up 23.5 sacks in two seasons to finish his college career.
Last season, Colts general manager Chris Ballard selected quarterback Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick.
Despite an early season injury, Richardson showed plenty of flashes of a franchise quarterback and Ballard’s offseason moves have echoed that faith. The Colts’ GM resigned a bevy of players, but opted not to sign many outside free agents.
Now, the Colts return all 22 starters from last season, and the defense just got better with the addition of Latu.
The Colts are counting on Richardson to elevate the offense with the existing pieces, plus whoever the team drafts over the next two days.
Ballard’s selection of a defensive end shows his faith in the young quarterback’s potential in another year under offensive-minded head coach Shane Steichen, opting to provide Richardson with defensive support instead of improving the offensive weaponry.
14 offensive players were taken in the first 14 picks, a draft night record.
Ballard might have had his eye on an offensive weapon like tight end Brock Bowers, but the run on offense allowed the Colts to have their pick of the litter on defense instead.
Indianapolis has one pick in both the second and third rounds, which will start tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
With six more selections over the next two days, Ballard still has plenty of opportunities to bolster the offense heading into Richardson’s second year.
DRAFT PICKS NO. 1-15
No. 1: Chicago Bears (via trade) – QB Caleb Williams, USC
No. 2: Washington Commanders – QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
No. 3: New England Patriots – QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
No. 4: Arizona Cardinals – WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
No. 5: Los Angeles Chargers – OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
No. 6: New York Giants – WR Malik Nabers, LSU
No. 7: Tennessee Titans – OT JC Lathan, Alabama
No. 8: Atlanta Falcons – QB Michael Penix Jr., Washington
No. 9: Chicago Bears – WR Rome Odunze, Washington
No. 10: Minnesota Vikings (via trade) – QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
No. 11: New York Jets (via trade) – OT Olu Fashanu, Penn State
No. 12: Denver Broncos – QB Bo Nix, Oregon
No. 13: Las Vegas Raiders – TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
No. 14: New Orleans Saints – OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
No. 15: Indianapolis Colts – DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
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