The 2024 NFL Draft is here, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Sataoa Laumea.
Laumea comes out of Utah with extensive experience at both right guard and right tackle. My sense is that the lack of overall length in his frame — particularly his shorter-than-desired arm length for an offensive tackle — will necessitate a transition to right guard at the next level.
He has a stout, compactly built frame with plus athletic movement and strong, heavy hands that he deploys actively and effectively — both as a drive and base blocker in the run game and in pass protection, where he strikes with force and power early in his pass sets.
Laumea has the traits to develop into a starting offensive guard at the next level. But he has started a lot of games in his college career, and some of his deficiencies and flaws remain. So not only will he need to be coached, but he must apply that coaching to his play on the field.
Overall, the more I watched of Laumea, the more I believe he can be an effective starter. But he is very much a projection based on the inconsistent execution in his 2023 tape.
Laumea came out of California as a highly regarded 4-star recruit, and he became a starter during his freshman season at Utah. In 2021 and 2022, Laumea started at right guard before moving to right tackle for the 2023 season. He finished his college career with 44 consecutive starts — with 19 coming at right guard and 25 at right tackle.
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