Jay Tufele is one of the rawest prospects in this draft. He is an athletic freak that headed USC’s defensive line. He opted out in 2020 due to the incompetence of the PAC 12. When he did play he made a huge impact.
Stats
2018: 23 Tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FR, 1 TD
2019: 41 Tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 blocked field goal
Strengths
Tufele, as I said, is an athletic freak. He’s 6’3 305, but moves like he’s a linebacker. His first step is explosive and he has great hands off the ball. He has to be double-teamed because he will destroy the offensive gameplan. He’s got a great motor and uses that to his advantage. He is a raw pass rusher but is really good at using his hands and athleticism to reach the QB. He’s great laterally and destroys zone blocking.
Weaknesses
Tufele didn’t play football for a whole year, which is the knock on a lot of players that opted out. It shouldn’t impact him too much, but it does cause a little bit of a concern. A big weakness of his is his performance against double teams. Being as good as he is 1 on 1, he attracts a lot of them. He tends to get washed down on those a lot, opening lanes for opposing teams. His high motor also leads to the occasional over pursue, but it shouldn’t be too big of a concern at the next level.
Scheme Fit: 3-4 DE or 4-3 DE
He’s a really versatile player. He can play anywhere from a 3 to a 7 tech. I think he’s a better 5 tech, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a team played him outside. The goal is to keep him away from as many double teams as possible.
Player Comparison: N/A
I’ve thought pretty long and hard about this and I don’t know who I would compare him to. He just doesn’t play like anyone I can think of.
Draft Prediction: Dallas Cowboys (2/12)
The Cowboys desperately need some help in the run game and they get a great value pick with Jay Tufele here. He would definitely be a day one starter and a three-down lineman for them.
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