Cameron Latu Scouting Report and NFL Draft Player Profile

2023 NFL Draft Measurements

Cameron Latu 40-Yard Dash Time – 4.62

6’5” / 244 lbs.

Cameron Latu Draft Profile

Cameron Latu is a former 4-star defensive end recruit out of Olympus High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to 247sports, Latu was the 10th best weakside defensive end in the 2018 recruiting class. He was also the 3rd best player in the state of Utah ranked 16 spots higher than his twin brother Nathan Latu. While achieving this status, he received offers from 23 Division I programs. But after receiving a scholarship from Alabama, it was clear where he wanted to go. This is because Alabama was the only school where he had an official visit.

After only playing one season as a defensive end, Latu made the transition to tight end. Fast forward to 2021 when Latu earned a starting spot at tight end. During this season, he had 26 receptions for 410 yards and 8 touchdowns. Then as a redshirt senior in 2022, he had 30 receptions for 377 yards and 4 touchdowns. Although these stats don’t stand out, he had a huge presence in the run game.

Strengths

Play Strength

Cameron Latu has very good play strength in both run and pass schemes. When running routes, Latu shows a lot of physicality at the top of his route stem. This allows him to separate from the defender without having to rely on his speed. After separating from the defender, he also shows a lot of strength to make catches at the ball’s high point. Although his hands are small relative to a lot of tight ends, he shows good grip strength to hold onto the ball through contact. When run blocking, Latu often wins at the point of attack due to his strength and proper hand placement. Then, he uses his strong lower body to steer the defender opening up a lane for the ball carrier.

Body Control

As I briefly mentioned earlier, Latu has incredible grip strength to hold onto the ball through contact. He also shows lots of concentration to make contested catches in the middle of the field. His concentration also comes into play when he is adjusting to throws outside of his frame. When going up and making these catches outside of his frame, Latu shows good athleticism. He also shows good balance and quickness to rack up a few yards after making the catch.

Run Blocking

Although Latu is effective in the passing game, he is really impressive as a run blocker. In zone-blocking schemes, Latu does a good job of quickly getting to the 2nd level. After getting to the 2nd level, he does a good job at steering the defender, opening up a lane for the ball carrier. Latu is also a very good pull blocker due to him being able to use his quickness to get out in front of the ball carrier. After engaging in a block, Latu does a good job of neutralizing the defender and finishing his block.

In power blocking schemes, Latu is very good at winning blocks at the point of attack. He does a good job of keeping his pad level low and exploding forward to knock defenders off-balance. By knocking the defender off-balance, the ball carrier has one less defender to worry about. This is because the defender will not be able to properly make a tackle.

Mental Processing

Cameron Latu shows incredible vision and awareness in both passing plays and run-blocking schemes. When playing against zone coverage, Latu does a good job of finding a hole in the coverage on short-intermediate routes. This allows him to act as a safety valve for the QB if none of his prior options are open. When run blocking, Latu does a good job of scanning the field pre-snap. After scanning the field, he does a good job of knowing who to block and in which direction to steer them.

Weaknesses

Ball Tracking

The biggest concern that I have about Latu’s game is his inability to consistently track the ball over his shoulder. This makes him a liability on intermediate-deep routes outside of the hashes. When watching his film, I noticed that Latu often had to be facing the ball when it is thrown his way. This can also hinder his ability to separate from defenders in open field. This is because he lacks the ability to quickly change direction and separate from defenders.

Pass Protection

Although I mentioned previously that Latu is good in run-blocking schemes, unfortunately, that is not the case when in pass protection. When lined up on the line of scrimmage, Latu has a tendency to get too vertical. This leads to him being overpowered at the point of attack and could lead to the QB being pressured.

Cameron Latu Draft Stock

Cameron Latu is one of my favorite prospects at the tight end position in the 2023 NFL Draft. Latu’s run-blocking ability makes me think that he could be a 3rd or 4th round talent. But, his lack of effectiveness in the passing game will likely make him an early day 3 pick.

Final Thoughts on Cameron Latu

Cameron Latu is one of the best blocking tight ends in the 2023 NFL Draft. When run blocking, he does a very good job of quickly getting to his blocking assignment and winning at the point of attack. He also shows good play strength to fight through contact in the middle of the field. Although his hands are on the smaller side, he has good grip strength to make plays outside of his frame. The only major concern that I have about his game going forward is his ability to track the ball over his shoulder. By not being able to track the deep ball, his role in the NFL will be limited. This role will likely be a complimentary run blocker who primarily lines up on the line of scrimmage.