An obvious need for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2024 NFL Draft was the linebacker position.
They got one but waited until pick 87 to select him, and folks are on the fence whether or not Marist Liufau will be able to make an impact right from the start outside of maybe a special teams role.
With that said, I wanted to dive into what other folks think about his upside and downside.
After a broken ankle ankle sidelined him for the 2021 season, he started 25 straight starts to finish his career at Notre Dame.
He is 238 pounds and played a total of 335 career snaps on both special teams and in Marcis Freeman’s 4-2-5 base scheme.
The Good
After watching some tapes and reading up about him a bit more, Liufau’s best trait is his motor and the way he can get downhill.
That motor helps when exploding to cover a lot of ground in a hurry. He plays through contact well and is better as an off-the-ball linebacker than on the ball.
He has the right mindset. Take a look at the video below. He is the type of player that new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer wants in the building to coach.
Zimmer wants the players who want to learn and want to be coached, not to be all buddy-buddy like Dan Quinn style.
Depending on the depth and health of the Cowboys linebacking core when the season starts in September, we very well could see him a lot sooner as a sub-package linebacker than we think.
The Bad
Liufau was selected where he was for a reason, and according to some maybe a bit early by Dallas.
As I noted, he is much more comfortable playing downhill and attacking that way than dropping back in coverage.
His lack of recognition and inconstant tackling will make him an easy target if he is asked to jump into an early role in 2024 for any reason.
I honestly like him as a player, he is going to have some growing pains like most, but if he is used the correct way, I think Dallas could work with his downhill play.
Remember Tyler Smith came in last year with the most holding calls in college football. The Cowboys got that cleared up only 6 last year. Cowboys will get the best out of him.
Folks will disagree with me and that is fine. But I like him right now more than I like Marshawn Kneeland.
I hope both make an impact, but from watching the tape, I liked what I saw more from Liufau.
He has more to work on than what he brings, but he can be a solid player for Mike Zimmer in a sub-package.
He might not see more than special teams action in year one if everyone on the depth chart stays healthy and plays well.
Dallas resigned Damien Wilson the other day after spending a year in Carolina, so unless an injury or shows Zimmer something he might not see time on defense in 2024.
Final Thoughts
Liufau is a Zimmer-type of player he needed for his defensive scheme. Many believed the Cowboys may have overdrafted here due to the “need” of the position.
Nonetheless, with not a ton of depth at the linebacker spot, he will be able to compete for a chance to work his way onto the field. We have to wait and see what he brings.
The Cowboys have the right coach in the building in Zimmer who loves his linebackers. A reason why Eric Kendrick ended up signing with Dallas.
If Zimmer can get the best out of him and work on some things, he may be a decent player in certain situations for the Cowboys defense moving forward. Time will tell.