Marist Liufal says he wants to play two roles for Dallas Cowboys

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On the second day of the NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys secured three more reinforcements for the team.

At pick #87, they chose Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau to freshen up the front seven. One of the few free-agents Dallas has brought in the offseason was the LB Erick Kendricks.

Liufau is of Hawaiian descent and had no desire to go to a university with little tradition of Hawaiian players, but his high school coach (a former Notre Dame player) convinced him and he became a fan favourite with the Fighting Irish.

He is also the cousin of Puka Nacua, wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams.

READ MORE: Former NFL general manager names the replacement quarterback Dallas should draft to replace Dak Prescott

College background

He suffered an ankle injury before the start of the 2021 season and it took him almost two years to get back on the field again.

The 6’2″, 234-pound prospect, throughout his three seasons at ND, recorded 117 total tackles, four sacks, 40 pressures, and an intercepted pass.

In the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, he crossed the finish line in 4.64 seconds.

Liufau is confident that he can play in the Special Teams

There’s something new about this linebacker that could make him stand out in another unit of the game.

After being announced as a Cowboy, Liufau guaranteed that he can help out on special teams. He contributed to 335 career plays on ST and wants to be useful for coordinator John Fassel.

“I know it will be my ticket on the field as a rookie. …That’s one of my first goals to excel on special teams and earn the respect of the team and organization.”

He also spoke about the feeling he had when he visited Dallas’ pre-Draft facilities: “It was a family atmosphere right when I got there. ….That was one of the things that caught my eye,” said the 23-year-old. “It made me want to come back.”

Pros and cons

PROS:

• Good height and excellent wingspan.
• Goes well in cover through the air, especially defending one-on-one.

CONS:

• His run game processing is weak. Misses read-options and play-action reads.
• Is easily dominated by guards coming in at the second level.

READ MORE: Former NFL general manager names the replacement quarterback Dallas should draft to replace Dak Prescott