ESPN mock draft has Atlanta Falcons selecting Laiatu Latu

The 2024 NFL Draft is just days away. Hours, really, at this point. So ESPN is conducting some final mock drafts to give fans an idea what to expect. The Atlanta Falcons will be on the board at pick No. 8, and the ESPN crew has them selecting UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu.

The ESPN crew broke down the selection on a SportsCenter Special on ESPN2 on Tuesday evening.

“With the eighth pick in the ESPN NFL Nation mock draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Laiatu Latu, edge rusher, UCLA,” said reporter Michael Rothstein. “The Falcons had their choice of all of the elite defensive players left on the board, and edge rusher is by far their biggest need.”

That pick will certainly raise some eyebrows, given the fact that Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner was also available at the time.

Here’s how the two stacked up statistically in 2023:

Laiatu Latu: 49 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 13.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, four pass breakups
Dallas Turner: 53 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, 1 pass defended

ESPN referenced the close call between the two edge rushers, explaining why the Falcons might opt for Latu over Turner.

“While Dallas Turner was a heavy consideration here, there is familiarity between Latu and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake,” Rothstein said. “Jimmy Lake was Latu’s coach when the two were at Washington, and now they’ll get a reunion in Atlanta and the Falcons will get a versatile player who might be the most ready-to-play edge rusher in the draft.”

Laiatu Latu offers plenty of production.

In two years at UCLA, he racked up 85 tackles, 34.0 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two interceptions and five pass breakups.

The 2024 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night in Detroit. The draft will be broadcast live on both ABC and ESPN.