Colts' Laiatu Latu is heating up and Aaron Rodgers might be next

Few young defenders in football have ascended faster than Laiatu Latu, and as the Indianapolis Colts prepare for a Week 9 battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his impact could again prove decisive.

A 2024 first-round pick out of UCLA, the powerful yet fluid and nuanced Latu has already developed into one of the league’s most refined young pass rushers -- and with 32 pressures and 3 sacks through seven games, his ability to tilt protection schemes and disrupt timing could define how this one unfolds.

At 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, Latu has become the prototype of a modern edge defender: explosive enough to win with burst, technical enough to counter with hand usage, and disciplined enough to hold his edge against the run.

Laiatu Latu is having a breakout season for the Indianapolis Colts

He’s taken a substantial step forward in Year 2 -- already approaching his rookie-season total of 38 pressures in nearly half the games -- and it’s not just volume, but consistency. When the Colts’ defense has dictated terms up front this season, Latu has been at the center of it.

The tape shows it.

Against the Rams in Week 4, Latu racked up nine pressures, repeatedly overwhelming tackles with his combination of timing and leverage. Two weeks later, he added seven more against Arizona, then matched that number again in Week 7 against Justin Herbert and the Chargers. Even in last week’s quieter showing against Tennessee, his presence forced protection adjustments that opened lanes for others.

It’s a reflection of a player who doesn’t need gaudy sack totals to influence games -- his pressure alone alters how offenses have operated.

That influence could be magnified this week against Aaron Rodgers, who continues to win with anticipation and precision rather than mobility. Rodgers has long been one of the game’s best at neutralizing pressure through quick releases, but he’s also vulnerable when interior and edge pressure converge, forcing him off his spot. That’s where Latu’s versatility becomes so valuable.

He can rush from either side, stand up over tight ends, or slide inside on passing downs, allowing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to move him around and test different matchups.

For a Colts front that’s steadily improved, pairing Latu’s disruption with the interior push from DeForest Buckner (32 pressures) gives Indianapolis one of the more balanced defensive fronts in the AFC.

At just 24 years old, Latu has already established himself as a technician who plays beyond his years -- and this week, his precision and persistence could be the difference. If he gets rolling early, forcing Rodgers to rush reads and feel pressure even when it isn’t there, Latu could be the player who flips Week 9 entirely in Indianapolis’ favor, and quickly.