The Atlanta Falcons front office took its share of criticism after passing on an edge-rusher to take quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday.
But if the Falcons had it their way, they would have left Round 1 with their future franchise QB and a star pass-rusher had the Indianapolis Colts not beaten them to the punch, according to NFL Network’s Steve Wyche.
“The other player they liked (at No. 8 was) Laiatu Latu,” Wyche said. “They didn’t decide not to take him there, but they tried to trade up into the teens to get Latu after this was done, and the Colts took him at 15. So, they couldn’t get up that high, but that was a player they wanted to get. That was their top-rated defensive player that they wanted.”
Laiatu Latu was the first defensive player picked on Thursday following an NFL record run of 14 straight offensive players to open the first round. The 23-year-old led UCLA with 62 pressures, 36 hurries, 13 sacks and a pass-rush win rate of 26.2%, per Pro Football Focus.
Latu established himself as one of the premier pass-rushers in the NCAA after transferring from Washington to UCLA in 2022, totaling 127 pressures, 81 hurries, 34 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks and 19 QB hits in two seasons with the Bruins.
Edge-rusher was the Falcons’ biggest area of need after losing both of its leading sackers, Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree, to free agency.
Atlanta doesn’t pick again until No. 43 overall in the second round. Some pass-rushers it could target with that pick include Alabama’s Chris Braswell, Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland, Penn State’s Adisa Isaac, Washington’s Bralen Trice and Utah’s Jonah Elliss.
“There’s some good pass rushers in this draft,” Falcons GM Terry Fontenot told reporters after Round 1. “There’s different types – guys that win with power, guys that win more with speed, well-rounded players, versatile players.”