INDIANAPOLIS -- Laiatu Latu already possessed most of the rare pass-rush traits teams covet when he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts.
He had elite speed off the edge, the ability to bend the corner and an impressive repertoire of pass-rush moves for a rookie.
And yet, when Latu decked Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on Sunday at SoFi Stadium for his first sack of the season during one of the most impressive performances of his short career, those characteristics weren't responsible for his success on the play.
Instead, Latu utilized a powerful bull rush to overwhelm and push back Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson, putting Latu in arm's reach of Stafford before taking him to the ground.
It's the sort of play Latu is hopeful will come more often in Year 2. And it is the result of what he learned in a rookie season that was, at times, underwhelming in contrast to Latu's expectations.
"I definitely feel a lot stronger this year," said Latu, who did intense offseason work to develop his upper-body strength. "I definitely worked [power] more into my game this year, so I can set up more moves for myself."
Latu's rookie season was a case study in almosts. His four sacks in 2024 didn't draw a lot of attention, but the Colts insisted his ability was waiting to be unlocked. The numbers are still somewhat modest -- Latu has 11 quarterback pressures -- but he's affecting quarterbacks more often in 2025 as the Colts head into a Week 5 home game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
According to TruMedia data, Latu generated pressure on 6.7% of his pass-rush snaps in 2024. This season, he has more than doubled that to 13.8%.
And his increased playing strength is a major factor in his second-year jump.
"Last year, he [went] straight to his finesse moves and everything, and he didn't really incorporate a lot of power in there," Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. "But he's been doing that a lot more this year, and guys have been respecting it a little bit more, which opens up his finesse game. So, it's been very encouraging to see."
On the Rams' first possession last Sunday, Latu came off the ball against veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein, used a long-arm technique to keep Havenstein's hands off him, then turned the corner and exploded toward Stafford. The quarterback threw the ball just before Latu drove him into the turf, but the rushed pass was nowhere near its target and fell incomplete.
"Trying to get [blockers] off-balance or, really, just taking it to them has helped me a lot," Latu said.
At times, it produces what he did against Jackson. The improved bull rush allows Latu to limit quarterbacks' ability to elude his edge rush around the corner. Stafford moved up in the pocket on the play, but because Latu went through, and not around Jackson, he was in proximity when Stafford tried to escape.
"Quarterbacks are good enough to know, 'Oh, they might beat us on the edge, let me step up, turn my shoulder,'" Latu said. "And, a lot of times, the power can help you fall right into a sack. So, I've definitely locked into that."
The Colts have had back-to-back strong pass-rush performances, with seven combined sacks against the Titans and Rams in Weeks 3 and 4. Buckner has drawn a majority of the attention from offenses, ranking among the most double-teamed defenders in the NFL. But Latu said he is noticing more chip blocks from running backs and tight ends.
It's the price for making plays, it seems. But Latu welcomes the attention.
"I feel like just playing off the chips and knowing what's going to come, hopefully it'll open up different types of gaps on the inside, wherever that may be," he said.
Of course, there are other areas to work on, other than pass rushing. And his coaches say Latu is progressing there, too.
"I love the way he set the edge," defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said of Latu's performance against Los Angeles. "I love how he ran to the ball. He is a force in the run game as well as the rush that you saw. And he really has a savviness when he drops [into coverage]."
Said coach Shane Steichen: "He had a hell of a game last week, and [I'm] just looking forward to that progression each and every week."