Colts take first defensive player of NFL draft, UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 15

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts took the first defensive player in the NFL draft Thursday night, choosing edge rusher Laiatu Latu of UCLA with the 15th pick.

Latu's selection ended a 14-player run on offense — a draft record.

Last season's Pac-12 defensive player of the year is expected to beef up Indy's outside pass rush and should complement an interior defensive line led by two-time Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. The Colts recorded 51 sacks last season, the most since the franchise moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

The 6-foot-5, 259-pound Latu started his career at Washington, where a neck injury forced him to miss two full seasons. He had neck fusion surgery, leading then-Huskies coach Jimmy Lake to announce that Latu had retired.

But he transferred to ULCA following the 2021 season and was cleared to play near the end of spring football in 2022. Latu didn't make any starts with the Bruins until 2023 but recorded 23 1/2 sacks over his final two college seasons and won last season's Lombardi Award.

The Colts finished 9-8 last season, missing the playoffs for a third straight year. They haven't won a postseason game since 2018.

Indy has six picks remaining — one in each of the final six rounds.

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Michael Marot, The Associated Press