From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Utah OL Sataoa Laumea.
#78 SATAOA LAUMEA/OL UTAH – 6042, 319 POUNDS. (RS JUNIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Sataoa Laumea | 6042/319 | 9 7/8″ | 32 7/8″ | 80 3/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 8’8’’ | 31″ | 26 |
THE GOOD
– Positional versatility to play guard or tackle in a pinch
– Picks up stunts and blitzes well
– Able to close rush lanes that aren’t his to shift his body 180 degrees quickly
– Explosive in his lower half out of his stance
– Strong initial punch to stall defenders
– Powerful run blocker on angle and drive blocks
– Has a tight clench and anchor on his jump sets to withstand bull rushers
– Athleticism to kick outside as a puller or climb to the second level
– Excellent competitive toughness who plays to the whistle
THE BAD
– Struggled significantly with oversetting against speedy edge rushers as OT
– Inconsistent hand placement technique of letting his hand carriage get too wide in pass sets
– Arm-over and inside counter techniques gave him issues
– Strike timing in pass protection varies from rep to rep
– Choppy footwork out of his passing sets limits his ability to mirror rushers
– Pad level gets too high at times as a run blocker
– Lack of length and lateral foot speed should push him to being a guard
BIO
– 3,016 total snaps (1,726 at RT, 1,284 RG)
– 44 consecutive starts (25 RT, 19 RG) and 45 games played total
– Career: 96 pressures (77 hurries, 14 hits, 5 sacks) allowed
– 2023 season: 29 pressures allowed, 5 QB hits allowed, 0 sacks allowed
– 2024 Senior Bowl participant
– 2023 second-team All-Conference Pac-12
– 2022 first-team All-Conference Pac-12
– 2021 Honorable Mention All-Conference Pac-12 & Academic Honor Roll
– 2020 second-team All-Conference Pac-12 & Academic Honor Roll
– Four-star recruit by 247Sports out of Eisenhower HS in Rialto, CA
– Played DT with 19 tackles (4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks), a forced fumble and blocked PAT as a senior
– One of 10 kids growing up
TAPE BREAKDOWN:
Sataoa Laumea is an offensive line prospect who was an integral force for the Utah Utes and their balanced offensive attack. He has good experience at both right tackle and right guard. While his most recent playing has been at the tackle position, his arm length and poor pass protection skills on an island should push him to be on the inside as a guard at the NFL level. His protection issues the past two seasons were mitigated to a degree when he played guard, however, he still has his warts in that department. Laumea is a very explosive and powerful run blocker who played in a Utah offense that primarily functioned out of the shotgun, but his athleticism was able to surface in their zone-based run attack.
Laumea is a really solid run blocker who wins with excellent initial quickness and strong hands. He has serious power with his lower half on angle and drive blocks. Here, he is getting out of his stance and getting to the second level so quickly that the linebacker barely even has time to read and react to the runner.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 9, 2024
He also shows the fluidity and athleticism to move down the back side to get his targets as a puller. This was him at right guard where he was utilized to do this much more so than when he played right tackle.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 9, 2024
Laumea has good body control to get in rush lanes and stay on his feet coordination-wise to get to the second level in a hurry. Watch him here on this designed QB run out of a shotgun formation that shows him drive block the initial B gap defender before brushing him off to hit the second level to stand up and seal off the linebacker, leading to the touchdown.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 9, 2024
His propensity to lunge or lean into contact too often to deliver staggering initial blows to defenders is an area of concern for him. This also prevents him from getting to his landmark points because he’s too eager to get out in front before the play has developed.
When it comes to pass protection instances, Laumea is not stiff in his movements and is able to slide well to get to his spot quickly. His powerful punch allows him to control defenders instead of having to rely overly on his wingspan. He also has a nice, wide anchor against power moves.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 9, 2024
If you meet him in the short-area space, he’s not easily moved off of his spot. He does struggle with hand strike timing and landing his punches consistently. This is what causes him to lose across his face with cross-chop moves because he will try to correct this timing with late two-hand strikes and defenders through him. When he played right tackle, a big issue with him was his general ability to kick-slide and get out quickly enough against wide rush alignments. It was evident that speedy edge rushers could go around his outside shoulder.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 9, 2024
He may not have given up many sacks, but he would often give up pressures and had 15 penalties in the past three years because he will lunge at guys if he’s beaten. Although he was better in pass protection as a guard, he still has a lot of work to do there from a technique standpoint of being consistent with his strike timing, hand carriage and footwork. Here, you can see him lose across his face when he can’t get to his spot in time. Arm-over moves can be utilized to get around him.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) April 9, 2024
CONCLUSION
Positional versatility as an offensive lineman is an attractive skill set for NFL teams, and Sataoa Laumea has that with a lot of experience and the pedigree of being selected to four All-Pac-12 teams to back up his reputation at Utah. He fits all run schemes and immediately has future starting potential at guard. That in and of itself is also a selling point to teams. My biggest concerns with him come from consistent technique in his pass protection reps and oversetting too often. He will have to work on that, but he fits the physical and athletic profile of a guy who can be a solid starting guard and can play right tackle if a team is in a bind.
For a pro comparison, he bears a lot of similar traits and weaknesses coming out of college that Spencer Burford did when he was at UTSA. Really explosive and powerful run blockers who played tackle and guard, but had difficulty in pass protection. I could see Laumea making developmental progress like Burford did if he is drafted to a team with a good offensive line coach who can help him with his strike timing and footwork. He has all of the traits to play guard in the NFL and lacks the length and foot speed to stay on the outside as a tackle, but his experience gives teams someone who could play there in an emergency. His athleticism and power as a run blocker should get him on the field in the first few years of his career, especially if he improves in pass protection.
Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.5 – Quality Backup/Depth (4th Round)
Games Watched: at USC (2023), at Washington (2023), at UCLA (2022), vs Oregon (2021)
