Cameron Latu NFL Draft Profile
Position: Tight End
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 242 lbs
School: Alabama
2023 NFL Draft: Cameron Latu Scouting Report
Cameron Latu’s profile is a mix of a rising prospect in the moments before the draft who continues to have lingering questions about key parts of his performance. After catching 56 passes for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns over two years playing (five years on the roster) at Alabama, there is little question over Latu’s physical prowess. He will compete at the next level in workouts and physically. He earned an award for his Senior Bowl practice performance, and caught eyes at key moments in the process. Yet, in the same breath, he also tweaked his hamstring before the NFL combine and performed all his workouts on 23 March. His latest ‘tweak’ is compounded by a knee injury during the 2022 off-season that kept him fighting to make it back by opening day.
Indeed, a hamstring and knee are different (although they connect in intricate ways that might lead to subtly connected injuries) but constantly not being able to always be there might drop Latu from a fifth- to a seventh-round pick. Yet, his physical gifts and his ability as a pass catcher will, and should, earn Latu a slot in the NFL Draft. He is a tight end that can power over mismatches, block on occasion, and offer help on moving the chains on key short-yard third downs. Latu could be a gift to a team looking for a solution to certain routes in their offense; the kind of player who will serve not as the comprehensive, every-down tight end, but fits right into some critical routes only a tight end of his composure can fill.
Strengths
- Powerful tight end with speed to match
- Elusive after cutting from the break due to speed in route
- Has tremendous reach and offers secure hands when focused
- Smaller defenders will not cover and he can create mismatches
- Excellent option for third-down or route-specific schemes
Weaknesses
- Not a precise route runner; system will need to draw his route open
- Probably not an every-down tight end; more complete packages in the league
- Small injuries in ‘practice’ situations
- Will offer a body in the way on most blocks, needs refinements even if he can slow down defenders
- Has some bad drops
NFL Comparison: Tyler Conklin
Teams With Need at Position: Washington Commanders, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals
Projection: Seventh Round
Bottom Line on Cameron Latu
To succeed at the next level of football, Latu must focus on keeping proper form. Scouts’ physicals should answer any questions about how prone (or how accidental or routine) his injuries might be. If those are smaller than perception might show, then Cameron Latu can move into round five. However, if teams question his injuries or durability, he is likely to fall into round seven. His route running also needs to improve to have sustained success beyond operating as a decent third option over a few seasons.
However, Latu has all the natural gifts and the workout programming to succeed in the NFL. He trained and played at the tenacious Alabama Crimsontide, which is likely to lend him a hand over other tight ends. This is especially true if his former coaching staff offers favourable commentary on Latu. Although many questions linger around Latu, there is plenty of physicality and power in his catch radius that will make Latu a fun addition to almost any roster.
Main Image: Andrew Wevers – USA TODAY Sports
