Faletau Satuala S BYU |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #11 ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.60 seconds (37%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #11 | |
| ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.60 seconds (37%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
84.9 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 70.6 | |
| Tackling: |
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90% |
| Run Defense: |
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77% |
| Coverage: |
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90% |
| Zone: |
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78% |
| Man/Press: |
|
92% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
3rd
Overall Rank:
#81
Position rank:
#17 (DB)
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| College Games: 26 College Snaps: 736 | ||
ESPN RATING: 80/100
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247 RATING: 94/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren - Toledo |
|
82% |
| Jaden Hicks - Washington State |
|
81% |
| JL Skinner - Boise State |
|
80% |
Draft Profile: Bio
The first top-rated in-state recruit BYU had signed in over a decade landed in Provo when Faletau Satuala inked with the Cougars in 2024. The 247Sports composite had him at 0.94, a four-star pushed into the top-150 nationally after a late reclassification bump, and he arrived in Provo with scholarship offers from Utah, UCLA, USC, Tennessee, and a handful of Pac-12 and SEC programs. He played both ways at Bountiful High under Jason Freckleton, finishing his senior year with 86 tackles, six interceptions, and 54 catches for 799 yards and 13 touchdowns as a receiver. Career total: 13 high school picks.His freshman season at BYU was limited to special teams work and spot duty, 119 snaps across 14 games with seven starts scattered in. The sophomore jump came in 2025. Satuala led the Cougars in tackles with 67 stops across the regular season, added three interceptions including a pick-six against Iowa State, forced two fumbles, and recorded 7.5 TFLs and a sack. He earned FWAA Second-Team All-America, Sports Info Solutions First-Team All-Big 12 recognition, and Lott Trophy and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week nods after a 12-tackle, one-forced-fumble performance against rival Utah. Satuala announced in January 2026 that he's returning for a third season.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Productive box and slot safety with eighty tackles on the year
- Zone coverage is high, reading and driving on throws
- Took a pick-six off Iowa State to flash the ball skills
- Length and size at 76 inches and 210 pounds near the line
- Posted twenty-nine run stops as a downhill force
- Earned conference defensive honors and second-team All-America notice
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Below-average timed speed limits the deep range against verticals
- Cover skills in man trails the zone work against quicker targets
- Deep-third range is fewer of his snaps than box duty
- Missed seven tackles despite the heavy snap volume this year
Scouting Report: Summary
Satuala is a productive box and slot safety whose high zone coverage and eighty tackles anchored a strong BYU defense, a 210-pounder with length who reads and drives on throws and plays downhill. He took a pick-six off Iowa State, posted twenty-nine run stops, and earned conference defensive honors and second-team All-America notice. The production, the size, and the zone instincts give him a projectable strong-safety identity near the line.The athletic profile shapes the role. His below-average timed speed limits the deep range against vertical routes, his more natural in zone than in trail-man coverage against quicker targets, and he played more box duty than deep-third snaps. He missed seven tackles despite the heavy volume. He is a downhill, instinctive safety whose best work comes near the line and in zone rather than as a single-high eraser.
He fits as a starting box and zone safety who fits the run, takes the ball away, and covers underneath, a Day 2 contributor for a defense that keeps him closer to the line. The range and the man-coverage limits keep him out of the centerfield role, but the production and the size are bankable. He grades as a scheme-friendly strong safety with starter traits and a rising arrow as the coverage rounds out.
How other scouting services rate Faletau Satuala (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
229.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
49.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.