Tuli Tuipulotu

Pos: EDGE

School: USC

Ht. 6’3″ 

Wt. 266

Games Watched: UCLA, Notre Dame, Utah(CCG)

One Liner: Tweener edge rusher who wins with technique, motor, and functional strength

Strengths: 

  • Very good pass rushing IQ. Tuipulotu is able to identify blocking fronts well, and utilizes pass sets to his advantage. He does a good job with mirroring and reading the blockers movements to find a counter or utilize rush tactics. Tuipulotu times up some solid counters off the snap, including spin moves and push + pull.
  • Good motor. Tuipulotu plays with solid effort and has a motor that rarely runs cold. He plays with some intensity, and flashes a really high drive on the field. 
  • Good functional strength. Tuipulotu has solid strength that he uses in bull rush situations, and generates solid drive in his legs that allow him to attack tackles with shock as a 5t.
  • Good get off. Tuipulotu flashes a solid get off that is the impetus and primary component of his pass rush reps. His get off is inconsistent, and it can be hit or miss at times.
  • Good athleticism. Tuipulotu is a good but not great athlete. He moves well for his size, and displays solid short area quickness and bursts to win with inside rush counters. 

Weaknesses:

  • Adequate play recognition. Tuipulotu can read blockers well but struggles as a read and react defender. He takes longer time to process certain run plays, and will be late to diagnose play action fakes and read options at the mesh point. 
  • Adequate technique. Tuipulotu plays with average technique at the POA. His hand placement and usage could definitely use some improvement, and his body positioning does lack some discipline off the snap. 
  • Marginal size. Tuipulotu’s primary downfall as an NFL edge rusher will be his size, and that he doesn’t play like a 266 pound rusher, more so like a heavier 5t or a 4i. He may be a tweener at the next level due to size concerns.

Overall Assessment:  Tuli Tuipulotu is an edge rusher with solid traits all over his game, but nothing truly sticking out as his primary selling point. He plays with solid motor, functional strength and get off, and is an average athlete. He has above average pass rushing IQ and is able to read blockers with great speed to get ahead in his rush. However, he lacks the play recognition and eyes in the backfield to be on time in the right place consistently. His primary downfall is tweener size, which makes it hard for teams to project where he should line up at the next level. Tuipulotu will need to improve upon his technique as well, but he is a hard working and strong player who could be a formidable rusher if he adapts his game to a certain position, which I think is a bigger 280+ end, in the pros.

Scheme Fit: 5t, 4i with 280+ pound bulk 

Pick Projection: Late Day 2 – Early Day 3

Grade: 6.27