Draft Profile: Tuli Tuipulotu
Position: EDGE - Age: 20 - School: USC
Athletic Profile
Height: 6030
Weight: 266
Arm Length: 32 1/4”
40 Time: N/A
10 Yard Split: N/A
Vertical: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: N/A
Relative Athletic Score: N/A
* Indicates Recorded At Pro Day
Statistics
2022: 56 PR - 13 SK - 25 TKL (31.4 MIS%) - 29 STOP
2021: 29 PR - 6 SK - 34 TKL (7.7 MIS%) - 24 STOP
Snap Count
AGP: 32
BGP: 180
OVT: 180
OUT: 835
Pros
Plus Burst & Agility For Size
NFL Ready Power Rusher
Flexibility Off The Edge
Quick & Powerful Hands
Cons
Inconsistent Vs Run @ POA
Tweener Build
Lacks Closing Speed
Extremely High Missed Tackle Rate in 2022
Summary
Tuli Tuipulotu committed to USC out of the state of California in 2019. A starter in 2021 and 2022 he racked up 70 tackles and 20 plus sacks over the course of 18 games.
Tuipulotu is a long, versatile defensive lineman. USC used him anywhere from a 3T all the way out to the Wide 9. He displays the power and strength to hold up in the run game as an interior player and the requisite athleticism to live out in space. Tuipulotu makes his money in the run game as a penetrator winning with first step quickness to make splash plays in the backfield. The same burst translates as a pass rusher where he displays an impressive blend of movement skills and size. Tuipulotu is best as a power rusher. He wins with a strong bull rush move and converts speed to power very well. He also displays a competent club rip and swim move. Tuipulotu has plus flexibility for his size, He consistently displays the ability to flip his hips and turn the corner as a rusher. Tuipulotu has impressive lateral agility that makes him a force on stunts. When combined with his alignment versatility he is able to generate pressure from a variety of spots along the defensive line.
Despite his versatility Tuipulotu is kind of a tweener at the next level. He lacks the length you typically want on the EDGE and is undersized for an IDL. It was never an issue in college but could be in the NFL. Tuipulotu is a well rounded pass rusher with a good stable of moves but he will have to deepen his bag at the next level. When his initial moves fail his rush stalls far too often. He also struggles to convert sacks when he gets the edge. Tuipulotu lacks closing speed to finish sacks and tackles in the backfield (Missed Tackle Rate of 31.4% in 2022). For a player who makes an impact as a splash player it will need to be cleaned up. Tuipulotu is an aggressive player in the run game but occasionally overruns plays and opens up running lanes.
Tuli Tuipulotu looks the part of a quality NFL edge defender. His movement skills and flexibility at his size are ready made for the NFL. He has the versatility to play in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense as well. Tuipulotu does have some length questions and needs to become more consistent as a run defender but given his collegiate production and young declaration age (20 on draft night) there is plenty of untapped potential. Tuipulotu projects as a Day 2 pick with scheme versatility that should be able to win with his athleticism right away and become a strong #2 options for a defensive line down the road.
Grade: 6.24 - Mid to Late Second Round Grade (Potential Starter)
Games Watched: Stanford (2022), UCLA (2022), Tulane (2022)