One-hundred sixty seven picks were made between Laiatu Latu and Darius Muasau’s selections at the 2024 NFL Draft. 

That drought – the longest between any two Bruins since 2006 – included the first time since 2019 where no UCLA player was chosen on day two of the draft.

Muasau was the only former UCLA football player selected on day three on Saturday. The New York Giants snagged the linebacker in the sixth round with the 183rd pick, where he’ll join a defense that ranked 27th in the league in yards allowed per game in the 2023-2024 season. 

Muasau joined UCLA in 2022 after spending three seasons with Hawai’i. He quickly became one of Bruins’ defensive stalwarts, starting in all 26 games across two seasons while leading the team in tackles both years. 

After a 2022 campaign in which he collected three tackles for loss and one sack, Muasau became considerably more prolific in opposing offense’s backfields in 2023, recording 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks – good for third and fourth on the team, respectively. 

Relocating to New York for the next chapter of his football career, Muasau will compete for a spot in a front seven that also features two-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence and former Oregon linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. 

While Muasau joined Latu as the only drafted Bruins this weekend, three other draft-eligible players found homes shortly after the conclusion of the seventh round. 

Edge rushers Gabriel and Grayson Murphy and running back Carson Steele each reached reported agreements as undrafted free agents with the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively. 

Both Gabriel and Grayson Murphy joined UCLA at the same time as Muasau after transferring from North Texas. The former had a breakout 2023 season with 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks, while the latter was remarkably consistent in both seasons as a Bruin, posting nine tackles for loss and five sacks each year. 

The Murphy twins were half of a quartet – alongside Latu and Muasau – that propelled UCLA to the No. 2 rushing defense and No. 10 total defense in 2023. 

On the other side of the ball, Steele was one of the Bruins’ two primary backs, splitting carries with sophomore T.J. Harden. The Ball State transfer led the team in rushing yards with 847 while adding six scores on the ground and two in the air. Now, he’ll join the defending Super Bowl champions and former team of new Bruin offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. 

As undrafted free agents, neither Gabriel nor Grayson Murphy nor Steele are guaranteed to make a team’s 53-man roster. However, they will have the chance to prove themselves in training camps this summer. 

Two selections marks the fewest the Bruins have produced in a draft class since 2021.