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Marist Liufau NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Dallas Cowboys LB

BR NFL Scouting Department

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 239

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 34"

WINGSPAN: 79"

40-YARD DASH: N/A

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

POSITIVES

— Good size and frame with long arms and solid movement skills overall.

— Shows good eye discipline and peripheral vision to locate threats coming into his area when playing zone.

— Can be an effective blitzer with a decent hand-swipe move and the change of direction and agility to get pressure as the looper on line games.

— Takes on blocks with his hands and is physical at the point of attack against the run.

NEGATIVES

— Questionable instincts. Freezes and will get caught out of position versus zone runs, and has slow run-pass transitions versus play action.

— Lacks functional strength to hold his ground when taking on blocks against offensive linemen.

— Angles are too shallow versus outside runs, limiting his range.

— Has bad habits when tackling. Will be too high with his pad level and dive at ankles, which will lead to more misses in the NFL.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 44 TOT, 6.0 TFL, 3.0 SK, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR

NOTES

— Born Feb. 9, 2001

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— Injuries: 2021 (Broken ankle, missed entire season)

OVERALL

Marist Liufau could be a solid backup/rotational linebacker in the NFL. He has a good frame with at least decent movement skills to help in coverage, and he has experience playing multiple linebacker spots in college, giving him some positional versatility. He's also a solid pass-rusher for an off-ball 'backer, which adds more value to his résumé.

Liufau's biggest issue is a lack of functional strength, which shows up the most against the run. He's already about 240 pounds, which is big for a modern linebacker, and he doesn't have much room for growth on his frame. In other words, he might already be tapped out in that area of his game.

Overall, Liufau likely will have to prove himself on special teams to begin his NFL career, but he can be a decent depth piece on Day 3 of the draft.

GRADE: 5.6 (Backup/Draftable — 6th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 221

POSITION RANK: LB18

PRO COMPARISON: Kamu Grugier-Hill

Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

   

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