Tuli Tuipulotu faces NFL draft questions which aren’t easy to answer

Tuli Tuipulotu was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and was the nation’s third-leading sack man with 12.5 on the season (0.96 per game). He was also the Pac-12 leader — and sixth nationally — with 1.6 tackles for loss per game (21.0 total).

As a sophomore for the Trojans in 2021, Tuipulotu played in 12 games and took part in 630 snaps for the Men of Troy. He recorded 34 tackles and 14 assists while adding 24 stops. As a pass rusher, he chalked up 29 total pressures, 17 QB hurries, 6 QB hits, and 6 sacks during the year.

What stands out with Tuipulotu is his versatility. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 290-pounds, he played on the edge for USC and even stood up at times in a two-point stance. He was able to use a mix of speed and power moves to dominate against defensive tackles but can also slide inside and play the 3-tech.

Tuipulotu has all the tools, production and athletic ability to challenge for the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Tuipulotu had a good year, whereas USC predecessor Drake Jackson did not have an especially strong 2021 under Todd Orlando and Donte Williams. Tuipulotu won’t suffer from bad coaching the way Jackson did on the draft board (nearly falling out of the top 70), but Tuli did play on a limited USC defense, and one still wonders if that will affect his draft position.

The NFL combine will begin on Monday, February 27, with on-field drills televised from Thursday, March 2 to Sunday, March 5.

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Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire