Tuli Tuipulotu 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the USC EDGE

Arizona State vs. USC

Tuli Tuipulotu, a top 500 recruit in 2020, flashed in five games as a true freshman at USC, before becoming a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2021, when he recorded 48 total tackles, 7.5 of those for loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and batted passes each, along with a scoop-and-score.

Last season, Tuipulotu took off even more so, earning him the title of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American nod, for racking up 22 TFLs, 13.5 sacks, three passes batted down and two forced fumbles.

Tuli Tuipulotu, USC

6-foot-4, 275 pounds; Junior

Positives

+ Has a lot of power in his arms and a really sturdy base to lock out and control the point of attack against solo blocks in the run game

+ Plus, then he can throw guys to the side to get initial contact on the ballcarrier as he passes by

+ Clear mismatch against tight ends one-on-one as he regularly rides them into the pile

+ Can produce some negative plays by slanting inside and swatting away through the reach of blockers on zone runs towards him

+ You also see him create some create some havoc slithering across the face of linemen and squeezing plays down from the backside

+ Packs that sudden dip of the shoulder to get underneath the reach of blockers and create an angle to chase after plays when he’s away from the action

+ His pursuit from when lined up in the B-gap and run down the back on wide zone outside the opposite hash is pretty awesome to watch

+ Shed a little bit of weight coming into 2022 and played more on the edge, but also became a movable piece for the Trojans, lining up off the ball and knifing through gaps on early downs to disrupt the backfield

+ Was bailed out as a hook dropper a few times by the Trojans, where he tracks the eyes of the quarterback and takes away stick routes by tight ends

+ Displays some impressive burst off the ball in obvious passing situations and can throw an array of moves at the guy across from him

+ Way too smooth/fluid for a man his size to link his upper and lower half to where he rarely allows blockers to clutch inside his frame as a rusher, whether it’s dipping underneath their reach or keeping his arms extended through contact

+ Packs a forceful rip move and can ride linemen into the depth of the pocket

+ Yet, he can also get around them when he goes for Eurostep-like footwork, jabbing towards the middle of the tackle, taking a wide step with the outside foot and pulling the inside hip through

+ His long arms create some issues for blockers trying to get into his frame as he can keep guys at distance and lift their arms up

+ Does well to time up those up-and-under moves as he sees the tackle overset and goes for the punch with the outside hand while attacking the inside one simultaneously

+ Added a wicked cross-chop to his arsenal for 2022, where he flicks his hip around to flatten to the quarterback effectively

+ Flashes a pretty rapid spin move that seems to surprise blockers when he pulls it out

+ Along with his 13.5 sacks last year, Tuli racked up 43 other pressures across 404 pass-rushing snaps

+ In 2022, you saw him rush from different kinds of alignments, at times blitzing from off the ball and creating issues for interior blocker

Minuses

– Lacks the flat-out speed to consistently run guys down as the unblocked edge defender unless plays are strung out

– While he has a lot of different things he can throw at blockers, he doesn’t seem to really set up his moves or string them together in a very effective way yet

– Had an absurdly high 31.4% tackle miss rate last season, just not initiating contact with a large enough surface area and driving ballcarriers to the ground

– Labelled as an IDL by some, but had just 63 total snaps inside the tackle according to PFF, and he doesn’t quite have the speed around the corner to really threaten OTs that way consistently

– There are too many reps altogether, where he allows tackles to square him up, he gets tall and can’t find a second maneuver to come free

Overview

This is a very interesting player profile. I always thought Tuli Tuipulotu being listed as IDL just because of his weight was odd, but he isn’t a true EDGE either. He’s simply this disruptive player all over the front, who can be a real thorn in the sight of opposing offenses.

Now, while the get-off is impressive for a man his size is impressive, the second and third step aren’t quite there to win the corner, but he uses his hands as weapons and can keep blockers off balance with different step-sequencing. The missed tackles are something he desperately needs to improve upon.

I look at him almost like Za’Darius Smith and the chess piece he’s become on passing downs, where you can move him all over the formation, find mismatches and let him create problems.

Grade: Late second round

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