2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Tuli Tuipulotu

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Tuli Tuipulotu, 6-3/290 Defensive End USC

Tuli Tuipulotu Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Quick off the ball

Speed to get upfield

Burst to close

Has speed to power

Plays with good leverage

Strong bull rush

Can set the edge

Strength to work off blocks

Strong, active hands

Takes on and sheds blocks

Uses hands and feet at the same time

Gives a second effort

Versatility to play inside or outside

Can rush from the inside

Quality run defender

Reliable to hold his ground

Plays with good leverage

Weaknesses:

Stiffness

Can struggle to dip his hips to get pointed to the quarterback

Bit of a tackle/end tweener

Summary: Tuipulotu did not have a huge role as a freshman, recording 22 tackles and two sacks. In 2021, he showed improvement, taking over a starting job and totaling 48 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two passes defended. Tuipulotu was one of the nation’s best defenders in 2022, ripping off 13.5 sacks, 46 tackles, two forced fumbles and two passes defended.

In the pass rush, Tuipulotu is quick off the edge using a good first step to fire upfield. He fires off the ball and uses his quickness to get upfield. With active hands, Tuipulotu chops blockers off of him, using speed to power to shed blocks before closing on the quarterback. On top of his speed, Tuipulotu has a strong bull rush and can ride offensive tackles back into the quarterback. Tuipulotu will give a second effort and rush hard through the whistle.

Tuipulotu has some stiffness and can struggle to dip his hips to redirect to the quarterback. As a rusher, he has versatility to move inside and go against guards. The junior can play end on base downs and slide inside to tackle in the sub package.



In the ground game, Tuipulotu is a physical defender at the point of attack. He is tough and difficult to move in the ground game. Tuipulotu holds his gap well and possesses the strength to work off blocks. With his quality lateral anchor and good leverage, offensive linemen struggle to move Tuipulotu. He will take on and shed blocks to get in on tackles, which helps produce quality down-and-distance situations.

Tuipulotu could be a first- or second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. If he slips out of Round 1, he should go in the early picks of Day 2.



Player Comparison: Leonard Williams. Tuipulotu looks like a poor-man’s version of Williams. Williams is more athletic and slightly bigger, but Tuipulotu is similar in terms of being an edge defender with quickness and flexibility to play inside.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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