The 2023 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Tuli Tuipulotu 2023 NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Edge Rusher
School: USC
Size: 6-foot-3, 266 pounds
Class: Junior
2022 Stats: 46 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles
Tuipulotu had a few good seasons at USC, but really stepped it up this past season. Now he is in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Out of high school, Tuipulotu was a three-star recruit who decided to stay in his home state of California to play for the Trojans. He played a little bit as a freshman, tallying 22 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. His role increased in his sophomore season, with him delivering 48 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. The Trojans struggled that season with a 4-8 record. For the 2022 season, Tuipulotu registered 46 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He led the Trojans to an 11-3 record and an appearance in the Cotton Bowl.
After the Cotton Bowl, Tuipulotu declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a mid-round pick.
Tuipulotu weighs in at 265 pounds and has good play strength for the position. He actually played at a larger weight in college, but slimmed down to play on the edge in the NFL. Tuipulotu uses his strength to shed block. He showed plenty of production as a power rusher at the collegiate level with a good bull rush.
He is a versatile defensive lineman who can fit into a lot of different defenses. Tuipulotu played on the edge and on the interior in college. His slimming down may make him just an edge rusher, but he could move inside on pass-rushing downs and be successful.
For his size, Tuipulotu is a good athlete. He has ok flexibility and good agility. The combination of size and movement skills help him to be a mismatch for opposing offensive linemen. While he isn’t the best athlete, he is tough to beat because he has both power and athleticism.
While the versatility is nice, his measurables may leave him as a tweener. He doesn’t have the mass for the interior, so he slimmed down. Tuipulotu doesn’t have great length, so he could struggle on the edge. It might be hard for him to find a true position at the NFL level.
There are a few things Tuipulotu needs to clean up with his run defense. He needs to set a better edge to help contain runs to the inside. Tuipulotu also doesn’t maintain good gap integrity, which can lead to big holes for opposing running backs to get through.
He can add more pass-rush moves and counters to his game. When his initial pass rush is stopped, he fails to get to the quarterback. It isn’t due to a lack of effort, but rather that he doesn’t have many counters to go to.
Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Third Round Pick
Draft Grade: Third-Round Pick
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