Three Hawaii-reared players picked up in NFL Draft
Three football players raised in Hawaii were picked up in the 2024 NFL draft.
Roman Wilson
ADVERTISING
The first to get drafted was Roman Wilson, a Michigan wide receiver who got picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 20th pick of the third round. Wilson was born on Maui and played high school football for Saint Louis School — from which he graduated in 2023.
His scouting report: “Smooth strider with alarming speed once he touches top gear. Wilson primarily focused on attacking the intermediate and deep portions of the field, adding an explosive element to the Wolverines’ ground-and-pound approach. Wilson is an electrifying athlete, which should push his stock up, but he’ll need to learn to level up his skill getting from Point A to Point B as a route-runner to reach his potential. Wilson has good hands and can run after the catch down the field, but he’s not really a catch-and-go option underneath. He has the separation potential to make a quarterback’s life easier and figures to continue his ascension as a starting slot talent.”
Marist Liufau
Next, Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau was drafted as pick 24 of round three by the Dallas Cowboys. Liufau was raised in the Kalihi neighborhood on Honolulu, and played high school football for Punahou School.
Scouting report: “Angular linebacker with endless energy but a level of impatience that can occasionally pull him out of positioning. Liufau plays with good short-area burst and a willingness to step downhill and leverage his gaps. At times, he will move unnecessarily and get trapped behind a second-level blocker or lose track of where the play is headed. Liufau offers third-down value as a spot dropper with good field awareness and might have enough man-cover talent to line up over big slot targets from time to time. He appears to lack the instincts to be a consistent tackle-maker as a pro but does have the qualities to potentially compete as a nickel linebacker with special teams value as a Day 3 pick.”
Darius Muasau
Finally, UCLA linebacker Darius Muasau was picked by the New York Giants as the seventh pick of the sixth round.
Muasau was born in California but moved to O‘ahu by high school, where he played for Mililani High. Muasau played his first two college seasons at Hawaii before transferring to UCLA.
Scouting report: “Linebacker with muscular build and an unrelenting desire to chase after the football. Muasau plays with a phenomenal motor and has the instincts and recognition to get the jump on blocking schemes. He plays with good initial quickness but lacks extended pursuit speed in space. He will take shots downhill to spoil the action, but teams will have to live with missed tackles and inconsistent leverage in his pursuit. Muasau can handle some basic short-zone coverage but could get in trouble if the coverage expands into larger spaces. He has the potential to make the back end of a roster as a late-round pick or priority free-agent addition.”
