2023 NFL Draft Profile: DL Tuli Tuipulotu

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Tuli Tuipulotu appeared in parts of three seasons for the USC Trojans. The Hawthorne, California native played in 32 games, becoming a starter in the second half of his college career. Across his three seasons, Tuipulotu tallied 116 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, five passes defensed, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He earned first-team All-Pac 12 honors in both 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, Tuipulotu was named a unanimous All-American in 2022.

Top Strengths

Motor

There is no denying the hustle and effort of Tuli Tuipulotu. While he may not always gain leverage initially, he can win reps by taking sharp, acute angles to track down the ball carrier. That can be true both as a pass rusher and as a run defender. Tuipulotu is not going to blow anyone’s socks off with twitch or suddenness. Yet, he can be a thorn in someone’s side, when it comes to his adjustments and redirecting after reading and recognizing blocks or play direction. Tuipulotu is efficient with his angles, as well as with his finishing power. For a player that lacks explosiveness, Tuipulotu comes in with a head of steam, finishing with authority.

Versatility

There are many ways in which USC used Tuli Tuipulotu on their defensive line. He can align as a defensive end over the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle. He can play the role of 5-tech and create havoc by slashing laterally across someone’s face. Additionally, Tuipulotu can even reduce inside occasionally as a 3-tech. From there, he can rush the passer with a looping technique from inside-out. The ability to thrive in both a gap control and penetration style defense is certainly there. Though, Tuipulotu may not be a three-down player, as things currently stand.

Pass Rush Repertoire

There are plenty of moves that Tuli Tuipulotu has mastered within his pass rush repertoire. First and foremost, he is very effective with his bull rush and when converting speed to power. Tuipulotu also does well to incorporate a swim, swipe and rip move, as well. He is continuing to work on a club move. Largely, Tuipulotu is also refined in his pass rush repertoire outside of his hand technique. For example, the USC product is able to loop, stunt and twist from any direction as a dense pass rusher. For not quite being a true three-down player, Tuipulotu enters the NFL with a wide variance to his pass rush plan and approach to battling blockers.

Areas Of Improvement

First-Step Explosiveness

There are rare, if any, times where Tuli Tuipulotu will beat someone with his get off at the snap. This can derive from a few different reasons. For starters, Tuipulotu displays choppy footwork when coming off of the line of scrimmage. His steps are also very short, and Tuipulotu is unable to gain much initial speed. On the flip side, Tuipulotu is extremely patient with his reads and attack against opposing blockers. That can still lead to results. It is just that he lacks in first-step explosiveness in most reps, overall.

Utilizing Modest Length

The length of Tuli Tuipulotu is simply modest. He can be limited as a run defender by not getting a hand on running backs in tight areas. At the same time, Tuipulotu can be late to get his hands extended, while still looking to be more efficient when getting hands off of his chest. There is also some room for improvement with Tuipulotu utilizing his arms out of the gate, so to speak. Tuipulotu could certainly look to attack with a firmer extension on his initial hand counter move.

Flexibility

There is plenty of variety to how Tuli Tuipulotu wins reps. That is especially true as a pass rusher. However, Tuipulotu is able to get through or around blockers in more of a simplistic way. He is usually able to rely on relentlessness or outworking the opponent in order to get around them. To boot, Tuipulotu can convert speed to power well. This is just not going to be a player that can completely avoid tightness in his hips and upper half. Expectations should also be tempered with the consistency of his lateral agility, as a result.

Ideal Role

Given his versatility, Tuli Tuipulotu has the potential to play in any style of defense. A system that runs multiple fronts could suit him extremely well. In a 4-3 base defense, Tuipulotu could be used as a relentless pass rusher as a defensive end. But even in a 3-4 defense, Tuipulotu has the makings to play as a slasher from 3-tech or 5-tech.

Potential Fits

It feels like Tuli Tuipulotu will hear his name called somewhere on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft. Here are a few teams that could make some sense. One possible fit would be the Los Angeles Rams. This defensive line lost some pieces. By keeping Tuipulotu in California, Los Angeles could retool the defensive line with a smart addition.

Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need more reliability upfront on defense. Todd Bowles has to get his unit back to creating pressure and forcing turnovers. Tuipulotu would be able to do that as good as anybody that is down in Tampa right now. Finally, Tuli Tuipulotu could instantly provide some juice for a team like the Chicago Bears. More production is needed all over that defensive line. Could Tuipulotu provide it for them right away?

Be on the lookout for more FPC 2023 NFL Draft prospect profiles throughout the next few weeks. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.