Big Board ranking: #76
Positional ranking: #12
Overview
Position: EDGE
College: USC
Class: Junior
Age: 20
Measurables
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 266 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/4″
Hand size: 10 1/8”
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: N/A
10-yard split: N/A
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: N/A
Bench press: N/A
3-cone drill: N/A
Short shuttle: N/A
Strengths
Solid overall build. Exceptional strength. Hands are big and powerful. Outstanding instincts and play recognition. Tremendous reaction time. Knows how to finish around the quarterback. Very quick to detach from offensive tackles to get the sack. Strong power rush with his hands attacking the chest of offensive tackles. Excellent use of a hop-and-swipe move on the speed rush. Will knock down the hands of opponents and flatten to the quarterback. Shows he can get a step with burst off the ball. High motor. Gets his hands up when unable to reach the quarterback. Plays with great balance and is rarely on the ground. Very aggressive getting in on tackles. Physical and reliable wrapping up. Efficient disengaging from blocks. Great quickness to cross the face of offensive tackles when crashing inside. Excellent in backside pursuit. Experience with zone drops. Surprisingly effective when used to jam tight ends (including Michael Mayer in 2022 matchup versus Notre Dame). Lined up on both sides of the formation. Has experience lining up as a three-technique. Used to roam as a rusher from a two-point stance around the A gaps. Tough and intense player.
Weaknesses
Below-average length on the edge. Limited combination of twitch and fluidity. Gets stalled out and stood up when he doesn’t initially win as a rusher. Average athleticism and side-to-side quickness. Has general stiffness in his movements. Limited effectiveness on stunts. Will be overaggressive crashing inside and allow runs to the edge (unclear if because of assignment or his decision).
NFL comparison
Cameron Thomas
Conclusion
Overall, Tuipulotu is a productive edge defender with a natural feel for rushing the quarterback and impressive instincts versus the run. The possible limitations could put a ceiling on him, but Tuipulotu can be a staple for a top NFL defense.