Tuli Tuipulotu Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of John McCoy/Associated Press)

School: USC (Junior)

Position: IDL

HT: 6’5

WT: 290 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #32

Tuli Tuipulotu is a defensive lineman for the USC Trojans, who came into college as a local 3-star recruit. His family also has a deep history of NFL genes; Tuli’s brother, Marlon, is a defensive lineman for the Eagles while he is also the cousin of 49ers Safety Talanoa Hufanga. Tuli gradually improved every season at USC. His improvement from 2021 to 2022 was not as gradual as he soared to the top of draft big boards. For the majority of his early career with the Trojans, he was an interior defensive lineman primarily at 3-tech. This past season he moved to the edge and showed off his pass rushing prowess. He has always been productive in defending the run and acting as a disruptor on the line, but putting him on the edge seemed to unlock a new dimension to his game that has made him a force. Tuli does a good job on stunts to be able to attack the A and B gaps and find a weak spot in the line. He has an extremely powerful lower half and keeps his feet moving and legs churning at all times. When Tuipulotu gets to the ball carrier, he does an excellent job in wrapping him up and bringing him to the ground. He is a secure and confident tackler who does not let runners slip from his grasp. Tuipulotu’s versatility along the line allows him to attack the run game from multiple alignments effectively.

Tuipulotu is a dense lineman with power, but he doesn’t have the length that you see from some of the more freakishly built edge rushers. With his mostly smooth transition of kicking to the edge, he has also displayed some growing pains. Playing the edge requires much more fluidity, flexibility, and bend than the interior defensive line requires. Tuipulotu has stiff hips and doesn’t use enough bend in his pass rush sets on the edge.

Tuli Tuipulotu is a more than solid defensive line prospect that an NFL team can truly put at any spot along the defensive line. He has a solid combination of speed and power to stack blockers. He has put up impressive production both as a run defender and as a pass rusher. He will most likely going Round 2 and will be an instant impact defensive lineman from Day 1 for any NFL team.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: Even Front EDGE

Best Team Fits: DET, PIT, DEN

Player Comparison: DeForest Buckner

Player Grade: 82.3