Studying Cowboys New LB Marist Liufau
The Cowboys decided to take the LB over the RB and now they hope they are correct.
BOB STURM
MAY 09, 2024
I want to reiterate something here that I've mentioned elsewhere in the past two weeks:
I really like the first three picks of the 2024 Cowboys Draft. I believe they have potentially secured three strong players upfront who will significantly contribute for years to come. Tyler Guyton, Marshawn Kneeland, and Cooper Beebe seem like solid choices.
However, the success or failure of this draft will likely depend on Pick No. 87 and that pick’s ability to make a significant impact on the Cowboys' defense.
Marist Liufau is another player who wasn't high on my radar because my radar is informed by consensus boards. I realize this concept is flawed since consensus boards often overlook talent, but it's the best approach I have. Unless I want to hire a scouting staff, life is about making our "best" decisions and understanding that they aren't always "perfect" decisions.
Marist Liufau - LB - Age 23 - RS SR – 6’2 - 234 - Notre Dame
Liufau hails from Hawaii, specifically Oahu, and attended a private school there renowned for producing several NFL players over the years, such as DeForest Buckner, Ka’imi Fairbairn, Manti Te’o, and others (thanks to Dane Brugler). Football runs deep in his family, with his cousin Puka Nacua also being involved in the sport.
His Hawaiian roots undoubtedly sparked his interest in Notre Dame, and he eagerly accepted their offer when it came in 2018, committing to the Fighting Irish.
It took him a bit to work his way onto the field, but he grew into his position, got healthy, and became a key piece.
He started his last 25 games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, opted out of the bowl game and went to the Senior Bowl.
The five years at Notre Dame went like this:
2019 - Red Shirt Year
2020 - 206 snaps - 17 pass rush snaps - 4 QB pressures - 1 sack
2021 - Missed season - Broken Ankle
2022 - 646 snaps - 112 pass rush snaps - 11 QB pressures - 1 sack
2023 - 595 snaps - 129 pass rush snaps - 25 QB pressures - 5 sacks
I was interested in his
athletic measureables. His testing scores are all quite strong on mockdraftable for a LB. His profile shows some very long arms and wingspan, in particular, are impressive.
Now,
if you can look at his RAS, you will see he is slightly-above average and loses a lot of ground on explosive testing. For instance, we measure explosion with vertical and broad jumping scores and even to an extent something like bench press.
Marist was the 4th LB taken in a draft that had zero LB’s taken until Pick No. 45.
There, Edgerrin Cooper was taken by Green Bay and those two franchises actually have a few connections this year (again).
Cooper was a guy that Dallas was believed to fancy at Pick No. 56, but we will never know.
Payton Wilson was a Sturm 60 player and one I quite liked, but the Cowboys were very leery of his double-digit surgeries and spotty health records and opted for Liufau.
So, the issue was this:
At 87, I wanted the RB Marshawn Lloyd from USC, but the Cowboys opted in a different direction.
They needed RB and LB and from all accounts, they knew they couldn’t get both so they took the highest graded player on their board.
They took Liufau instead of a lower-graded RB.
I am sure we will take careful notes on paths of both players.
Here are the differences between the top of the class and Liufau in terms of RAS score, just so we see what “elite” vs “slightly above average” looks like in that regard.
Of course, testing does not mean that a player is good or bad. It just means he is athletically capable of being a better player. Linebacker is a big football IQ position. Here, is actually a very good athletic comp to Liufau, former All-Pro and almost-Cowboy LB, Shaq Leonard.
As you can see, plenty of similarities there. But, again, these numbers are just to offer relative comparisons as athletes.
Let’s look at the film.
Ok, he wears No. 8 and can be best identified by his voluminous hair. He also has two white gloves and a blue arm sleeve on his left arm vs USC.
I recommend you slow down the video and let’s take a look at what he does in this game together and I will try to time stamp (with the video, of course) all my notes as we go.
0:00 - he slides with Marshawn Lloyd (RB who was actually taken right behind him in the draft - also by Green Bay at pick No. 88) and gets in on the tackle.
0:17 - he goes with Lloyd on a play-action fake that ends up with Caleb Williams first interception of the day.
0:32 - takes on the pulling guard in the hole and forces the RB to cut up inside.
0:37 - comes across the pocket on a convincing pass rush and forces the throw.
0:46 - plays some level of QB spy and patrols Williams to the sideline but does get out-raced a small bit.
He plays with good length and physicality on a lot of these plays and is clearly coordinating their defense from the middle LB position.
1:04 - again plays physically and hits the gap well with his fit. Does get blocked.
1:45 - his pass rush has a lot of urgency, but mostly as a blitzing LB that Is about ferocity over moves or technique that I can see.
2:20 - this is a great rep and he plays like his hair is on fire on these pass rushes. We know that this is the best way to end up with big plays is to have a great motor and disposition.
I really like this.
2:30 - this is another awesome rep. He is calling out the play before it happens and is on top of this end around from the start. It is so good, even though he never actually touches the ball or makes a play. This is what Football IQ looks like.
2:39 - wow, we are rolling now. He looks great here with a delayed blitz and then ends up getting in on the sack after getting held first. He is seeing the USC offense incredibly well and has a beat on each play.
2:46 - He got off balance in this take-on and gets trucked a bit by a pulling guard. Not his best work.
2:52 - This is a good play by USC and we also see that Marist runs about a 4.6 and will not be closing down Marshawn Lloyd in the open field. This is a LB with normal speed, not elite. As long as we all understand the difference between a Day 1 and nearly- Day 3 prospect at this position.
3:00 - They love to stunt him inside or rush him off some delays.
3:14 - Here he comes again on a delay and here he is with another sack. This RG for USC might stink, based on this review.
3:20 - Great job shedding the block and getting in on the play. He doesn’t stay blocked.
3:35 - Stays in his zone drop and then moves to Caleb and has the run squared away. He forces the play and it is a TD.
I liked that tape a fair amount.
Now, here is Ohio State.
Green No. 8, same sleeve on his left arm and gloves.
0:05 - Decent job taking on block and getting outside to the runner and in on the play. Not perfect, but not bad. In these first few snaps, he sifts through traffic and finds the ball.
0:19 - He has the flat in the zone and gets out there too late so his tackle attempt misses. This is a spot in his game where he will need to improve as he does tackle too high at times.
0:30 - Outside rush against the LT and is always looking to stunt or slide inside. He has good suddenness in these spots.
0:37 - Uses his length to straight arm his blocker and extends before getting in on the stop. Decent work here.
0:47 - delayed rush is well timed and he gets Kyle McCord to have to change his decision and he altered the play quite a bit.
0:55 - This run play wide to his side did not quite look as good as some of his others. He gets hung up on a block and extends the play outside, but is unable to do too much with it.
1:05 - He pops into the gap, turns the play inside and does his job while closing in on the tackle.
1:35 - Gets washed inside when he spins his pass rush to the middle, but is in a stunt.
1:45 - Fakes the rush and then tries to return to the slant/hook drop and is a bit late on the pass. Tough assignment, to be fair.
1:55 - Backside chase down on goal-line run play.
The ball is not finding him a whole lot so far. Most plays seem to be going elsewhere which will happen at times.
2:20 - Good take on in the run game and he plays physically up front. We like a LB who is ready to take guys on.
2:40 - This is a great rep where he knows the play and uses that fast recognition brilliantly to cut the play off at the pass nicely. Nice job.
2:47 - Our coaches might want to chime in here, but I believe that Liufau wrong-shouldered the pulling guard and lost contain. You have to keep your outside shoulder on the outside to turn the runner back into your health.
I am not suggesting that the subsequent touchdown is on him, but one reason we want big players on the edge is that sometimes little ones can eat a block, lose contain, and the runner is off to the races without support behind him. Notre Dame had none here.
3:05 - This is textbook work right here. The misdirection does not produce any false steps and he is on the scene quickly and well. You certainly have to like him as off-ball LB than as an edge defender and I am almost positive that is what Dallas is thinking.
3:15 - Excellent zone drops and in the right spots and head on a swivel.
3:25 - Stunts inside, but hands not up to knock down that pass.
4:00 - Here is the famous play where Notre Dame did not have a RDE in the game. You can see at the snap Ohio State is about to win the game and they do.
POSITIVES: This linebacker is highly proficient, showcasing impressive skills at a competitive level. He excels in multiple aspects of the game—stopping the run, rushing the passer, and demonstrating agility on the field. Notably, he possesses exceptional length and displays powerful play at the point of attack. Furthermore, he exhibits strong instincts and intelligence, contributing to his ability to organize plays and anticipate movements effectively as a linebacker.
CONCERNS: He was docked in the draft process for not having explosive testing numbers and a 30” vertical for a player at his position is not terribly promising. Twitch is a massive indicator of excellence at this position and he is limited. He also does not have great speed, but should be able to manage. The film leaves two issues to consider – questions about pass coverage as Notre Dame seemed to avoid anything more than simple zone drops and missed tackles which do show up on film.
OVERALL: There's no doubt that he will always be associated with Payton Wilson's career, and likely with several of the running backs who went undrafted. However, it's also undeniable that the Cowboys struggled last year with a dire linebacker situation after moving Micah Parsons to the edge, lacking depth or reserves for adjustments when needed.
By signing Eric Kendricks and Damien Wilson, they've added trusted veterans. Now, with Liufau and DeMarvion Overshown, they potentially have promising young talents to complement Damone Clark. This group shows great promise moving forward, and if Liufau can succeed Kendricks in 2025, it would be a fantastic outcome.
You can squint and see the vision. Now they have to make it make sense.
Evaluation Scores (1-10):
- Speed - 7
- Coverage Ability - 7
- Recognition - Ability to key and diagnose - 8
- Ability against the run - 8
- Pass Rush - 8
- Tackling - 8
- Disengage - shed blockers - 8
- Motor – Rally to the ball - 8
