Wildcats’ Jonah Savaiinaea Got Exposed by Laiatu Latu

I am working my way through the top-rated prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft and got to Arizona Wilcats’ offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. I say ‘offensive lineman,’ because he saw action at two different positions on his 2023 game film.

Savaiinaea spent most of the season playing right tackle (RT), but he also saw some spot duty at right guard (RG). He played the first three quarters of the Alamo Bowl vs. Oklahoma at RG.

This is one of the tougher evaluations I’ve done.

Savaiinaea looks the part in pass protection in most situations and he’s an average run blocker.

It’s easy to fall in love with most of his reps in pass protection.

I started to fall in love with his game film on the first rep I saw. He looked pretty sliding out in pass protection.

The Draft Network, Bleacher Report, Draftwire, Sports Illustrated, and NBC Sports have all mocked Savaiinaea first-round since the last draft ended (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

However, then I saw his fuller body of work in nine games.

And as they say, ‘the devil is in the details.’

Got exposed by Latu

What does 2024 first-round selection Laiatu Latu (Picked No. 15 overall by the Colts) have to do with this?

Last season Savaiinaea matched up against Latu when Arizona played UCLA and it wasn’t pretty.

Level of competition counts.

Level of competition is a piece of the puzzle.

I loved Latu coming out. He was a cold-blooded quarterback killer with no off-switch at UCLA. It’s one thing to push around a bunch of guys who are just guys, but it’s quite another thing to match up against someone like Latu.

Why is this important when projecting talent to the NFL?

The NFL is a faster game. The most skilled pass rushers in the league play off the edge. The league is full of high-level pass rushers like Latu.

What are the main problems with Savaiinaea?

• His lateral foot speed is above average, but Latu proved, it’s not elite.
• He tends to over-aggress and over-commit in pass protection, which skilled pass rushers realize and manipulate when he’s out on an island one-on-one.
• Hit-and-miss run blocker in space.

Projects best at guard in the NFL?

That’s the thought process and it’s also the reason why I believe Arizona’s coaches flirted with him at guard.

It makes sense on paper.

He has a huge frame that looks like it’s made out of steel. Colliding with him is like a car hitting a moose on the road driving through the forests in Canada.

The problem is he is too lax.

His film vs. Oklahoma at RG was nothing to write home about. He did just enough or not enough.

That’s not good enough.

#71 Jonah Savaiinaea 6-foot-5, 336 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2024 Fall Grade: Fourth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 48.2% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of November 5, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film evaluated: Washington, USC, Washington State, Oregon State, UCLA, Colorado, Utah, ASU, and Oklahoma (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic prospect with long arms. Aggressive streak that comes out from time to time. Powerful. Strong anchor. Wide base. Quick first step. Alert in pass protection. Active hands. Clamps on like a vice grip on the upper body of pass rushers. Lacks bend. Holds up against bull rushes. Smart football player. Did well against “X” stunts. Handled spin moves. Struggles against top-shelf speed or when he over-commits. Tendency to lower his head and waist-bend. Good football speed. Limited area leverage run blocker. Hit-and-miss pulling and at the second level when rigidity shows up. Tendency to get out of control in space. When he connects he connects. Inconsistent sustain. Tendency to take his foot off the gas too soon. He is what he is.

What to watch for during the 2024 college football season

1. What position does he play the most?

2. Does he play until the whistle blows?

3. How does he look pass and run blocking out in space?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.