4 potential steals in the 2024 NFL draft if the Seattle Seahawks trade back

Edge rusher Laiatu Latu, UCLA

There are a couple of mock drafts that have Latu going in the top 10 but there are just as many that have the edge rusher going late in the 20s. The discrepancy could be more about Latu's injury history than his production or raw potential as a player. There is little doubt that without his previous neck injury, Latu could easily be a top-10 choice.

Besides being excellent athletically, Latu has a motor and a need to destroy his opponents. He won't stay blocked long and even blocking him in the first place is a chore because he is intelligent in how he approaches both as a pass rusher and against the run. That kind of versatility is something Seattle desperately needs.

The Seahawks have a few capable edge rushers, but Darrell Taylor, for instance, can only seemingly inconsistently get to the quarterback. He is a liability against the run and is not a good tackler. A top-three edge rush rotation of Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and Latu would give Seattle the type of sustained pass rush it has not had in years. But he would also make the run defense better by his ability to set a hard edge.

At UCLA, Latu did not have any medical issues. Before he transferred, though, he played for Washington and his career was in doubt due to a neck injury. While that does not appear to be a problem now, neck injuries, as 12s have learned recently with players such as Chris Carson and Kam Chancellor, could be a major issue for the player and person.

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