Who is Dallas Cowboys Marist Liufau, comparisons, college records

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The Dallas Cowboys had two picks in round three of the NFL Draft and chose offensive linemen Cooper Beebe and Marist Liufau.

Read all about the profile of the exciting rookie out of Notre Dame right here.

Position

Marist Liufau is an energetic 23-year-old linebacker from Hawaii, who will join veteran Eric Kendricks as the new recruit for this department.

The Dallas Cowboys needed to select a linebacker because their former All-Pro Leighton Vander Esch was forced into early retirement at middle linebacker.

Draft pick number

As touched upon, the Dallas Cowboys traded back on the opening day with the Detroit Lions for an additional third pick.

They selected Beebe at #73 and chose Liufau with their original designated selection at #87.

Combine results

The Hawaiian native ranked as the 21^st linebacker from his Next Gen Stats Combine overall score of 61.

Furthermore, his athleticism outperformed his production, scoring 66 and 54 in their respective metrics.

The Cowboy produced a respectable 4.64 40-yard dash time supporting his athletic ability.

Moreover, he has an excellent 10-yard split of 1.59 highlighting the burst of pace at the start of his sprints.

Comparisons

Per the Athletics’ draft report, the new Cowboys linebacker has been compared to the Las Vegas Raiders Divine Deablo.

The Raiders linebacker was drafted in 2020 and possesses the same animated characteristics and playstyle as Liufau.

In 2022, Deablo became the starting linebacker for the Raiders registering 74 tackles before his injury in Week 8.

Last year, the Raider played and started in 15 games contributing to 106 tackles, 2 pass deflections, a sack, and a fumble recovery.

Strengths

The rookie linebacker plays with a developed football intelligence and can read the game like no other before plays unfold.

He has a commendable violent approach to his game, which is controlled, and he excels with his blocks.

In addition, he has a great understanding of the passing game and can play a role on special teams.

College record

In his first season after being red-shirted in 2019, Liufau made 23 tackles off 10 games starting three times.

Unfortunately, he missed the whole of the 2021 season due to a broken ankle.

However, he bounced back and started 25 games on the spin to finish his college career before the draft.

In that time, he registered: 95 tackles 10.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks, 2 PBU’s, and a forced fumble.

Prospects/prediction

The rookie will have a greater role in the Cowboys’ defense than what he probably needs.

Initially, the Cowboys will use the Notre Dame talent as a special teamer, and he can excel with his blocking there.

Additionally, the new kick-off rules now encourage teams to gamble on the return, meaning teams will have to invest more time and talent into these roles.

Liufau will make a perfect special team player whilst he gets coached up on the defensive side to participate in meaningful snaps.