Is Latu underrated ?

When you look at the % of games above 70 (as rated by PFF) during the last year of college for leading edge rushers . . .

. . . an interesting pattern develops:

The leading edge rushers in the NFL have the highest scores when graded by % of games rated above 70 by PFF.

Will it hold this year? We will know in about 5 years?

IF it does hold, Turner, Verse and Robinson are going to underperform in the NFL relative to their draft slot ? . . . and Latu will be elite in the NFL.

Add this to the PFF's recent comments . . .

"EDGE LAIATU LATU, UCLA
There is nuance to the concept of being underrated. Latu is No. 16 on the consensus board, seen as a mid-first-round pick, but he is the third edge rusher and clearly viewed by many as a notable step down from the truly elite edge rusher prospects of the last decade.

The PFF grading and his college production, however, suggest he belongs higher than that and with those top-tier prospects.

Latu’s PFF grade last season was 96.3, and his pass-rush win rate was an absurd 26.2%. Only Chase Young has ever recorded a higher win rate over a single season with that kind of workload, and it was Latu’s second consecutive season of top-tier production. His athleticism was a question for many — certainly when compared to an elite athlete like Dallas Turner — but Latu’s workout at the NFL combine was better than people expected and his in-game athleticism as measured by tracking data and turned into PFF’s proprietary athleticism score — PFF GAS — was consistently elite. Latu scored in the 97th and then 99th percentile over the last two years in that area. His injury history is a concern, but on the field, Latu should be seen not only as the best edge rusher in this class but a top-10 selection overall."

. . . and it looks like Latu may be a "steal" at 19. Look at the company he is in over the last several college/NFL seasons.



Because the Rams were in on Turner and Nacua (both highly rated by PFF) when others were not (tells me they are using some of the same metrics), I can see Latu (extremely highly rated by PFF) being their top pick and them even trading up to get him. I would be good with this as an elite edge is extremely valuable and when you have a chance to get one, you do it. If he has problems in the future with his neck (reported that Ram doctors have signed off on Latu) . . .