New York Giants select Darius Muasau in sixth round of 2024 NFL Draft

Former UCLA linebacker Darius Muasau was selected by the New York Giants with the No. 183 in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Muasau played five years of college football, the first three being at Hawaii before transferring to UCLA. He set career highs in 2021 but had a solid career with the Bruins nonetheless.

Last season, Muasau had 75 total tackles, 43 solo tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception and six pass deflections. Over the course of his career, he had 436 solo tackles, 260 solo tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, five interceptions, 14 pass deflections, four fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown.

As a member of the Class of 2019, Muasau was a three-star recruit out of Mililani (Hawaii) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 26 overall prospect in the state, the No. 314 linebacker in the class and the No. 2,631 overall prospect in the class.

What draft analysts are saying about Darius Muasau

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein evaluated the tape of Muasau and broke it all down ahead of the draft. He was a projected sixth round pick.

“Linebacker with muscular build and an unrelenting desire to chase after the football,” Zierlein wrote. “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.”