Drafted by Cowboys Round 3 pick 87 Dallas Cowboys take LB Marist Liufau Notre Dame

speedkilz88

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OURLAD'S

6.86 Liufau, Marist | Notre Dame | Kalihi, HI | Proj Rd: 3-4

Height: 6021 | Weight: 234 | 40: 4.64 | Arm: 3414 | Hand: 0978 | Wingspan: 7938

Two year starter. Butkus Award semifinalist in 2023. Lengthy frame with
long arms. Versatile prospect who has moved around in the Notre Dame
defense. Played primarily Mike but was often used as an overhang player
blitzing off the edge or a big receiver. High motor athlete who has flashed
outstanding play. Shows a good football IQ and is always around the ball.
Solid read and react inside he can locate the ball and chase. Normally precise
inside fits, he can fly downhill and take an open window. Scrapes outside
with a path that allows him to square up in the alley. Shows a closing burst
on tackles. Uses his long arms to stun and separate from blocks. Huge tackle
radius with solid gather and drive on tackles inline and the alley. He has
remarkable recovery ability and second effort if he gets out of position.
As a blitzer, shows a burst outside and can quickly slip a pass blocker with
a strong punch and go. Can bend the edge. Has flashed cover skill in the
short and intermediate zones with a feel for where pattern pressure is. Can
reroute an inside receiver and quickly find the throwing lane. Has match
skill and playing overhang can cover big slot receivers. Struggles at times
tackling in space as he can overrun and not break down. Has to rely on
his long arms to bail him out and there are some shoestring tackles and
misses. If a second level blocker is in his path working outside he can be
slow to shed; he often gets tall on the block and loses his path to the ball. He
can be segmented in pass drop at times and lose positioning. Has starting
potential and has been a missile on special teams and that increases his
value. 2023 Stats: 44 T, 6 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 PBU, 2 QBH, 1 FF. OSR:27/37
 

NDGAEDE

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Don't hate the pick. Love the commitment to defense. I was worried the draft would be all offense after the D got railroaded in the playoffs. I like the sounds of the player.

That said, we are gonna get wiped out at RB. That was the bigger need here. And I wonder whether a player like Liufau would've been available end of the 5th. Whereas I suspect the good RBs won't.
 

Risen Star

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Don't hate the pick. Love the commitment to defense. I was worried the draft would be all offense after the D got railroaded in the playoffs. I like the sounds of the player.

That said, we are gonna get wiped out at RB. That was the bigger need here. And I wonder whether a player like Liufau would've been available end of the 5th. Whereas I suspect the good RBs won't.
They had a "commitment to defense" when they drafted Nahshon Wright in the 3rd round too.

He's a day 3 pick we massively reached for.
 

Manster_Mash

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The injury itself healed, but Jaylon never got over the mental aspect of it.

Dude played like he was scared to death, literally jumping into the air making tackles so his foot/knee would not get pinned under a pile.

It happens to a lot of athletes that suffer gruesome injuries, they physically heal but they are never mentally the same because the fear of getting injured again never leaves their mind.
I dont beleive that injury ever fully healed. He ran with an awkward gait. Which explains why he looked to be avoiding contact.
 

JeffInDC

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Can anyone name this current NFL MLB?

From Ourlads “6033 236 4.65. Three year starter from San Marcos, CA. Has experience as a nickel and hybrid linebacker. Played both in and out of the box. Good initial read and react with an even lateral and downhill shuffle. Quick with his hands to ward off a block on the move. Smooth change of direction with good fits at inside and outside gaps. Makes plays in space with fundamental tackling skill. Quick to get into his drop with good depth in zone coverage. Aware of multiple receivers in the underneath zones with ability to see the quarterback and the threats. Uses his length to get in the throwing lane underneath intermediate routes. Closes the voids and reacts with a quick burst on the throw. Shows match-up skill versus slot receivers. Mirrors cuts well and has enough speed to stay with a vertical route. Will get engulfed at times by a bigger blocker. Not as good in the box as he is in space. Too easily blocked at times. Some hesitation in backside pursuit. Inconsistent cutting off backside running lanes. Will run around a block at times getting him out of position. Will have to get stronger to play every down. Has played well on coverage teams and has sub package potential while a team figures out if he can be an every-down player. 2017 stats: 87 T, 9 TFL, 1 sack, 5 PBU, 1 FF, 1 INT. Edge speed:left 1.72, right 2.01. OSR:7/22. Third/fourth round. (A-32, H-9 3/4, BP-21, SS-4.28).”

There are similarities between the write-up on Liufau and this guy as well as the similar athletic scores between Liufau and a rookie Shaq Leonard. If he turns in ANYTHING CLOSE to these 2 players rookie campaigns, this is a HOME RUN pick.
 

dmq

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I love all the arm chair draft pickers on here. They like or hate a pick based upon some other guys rating. Can we get a Notre Dame fan’s opinion on this? Sorry, I couldn’t sift through all the rueing. I also have seen far too many drafts now and generally have no idea how the picks will pan out until I see them on the field.
 
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