Prospect Profile: J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State

Evaluation

Get Off

He has solid upfield burst in all situations as he reads the game at a high level and so gets off the ball well no matter the down or distance. He isn’t the most explosive pass-rusher so won’t threaten those OL with more athletic traits themselves upfield quickly but he has enough to start his pass rush plan off on good footing.

Rushing the Passer

He is an expert pass rusher with a developed game for this point in his career relative to others. He has a really good plan, he is a power rusher and understands how he wins and how to ensure he keeps his opponent off his fastball. His bull rush and long arm are extremely effective and he flashes an ability to convert speed to power when he comes from a wider alignment in obvious rushing situations. He has developed some moves to work off this, including a bull-slip move and a developing spin move to threaten the inside. He has some chop moves he can work to get upfield but his relative lack of speed and bend mean his moves to get upfield are not as effective. He does understand how to use his feet to set up his power moves even if his outside moves aren’t as effective. It means though that the most elite competition who can drop an excellent anchor, can sit on his power moves a little more and maintain their QB’s pocket integrity. Also, when he crosses face on inside moves or stunts and games, those OL with good processing can keep him in front of them due to his lack of explosion. He does have excellent counter moves in-rep, his hands are active, accurate and powerful as a pass-rusher and it is very difficult to keep him blocked, even if the OL wins early and emphatically. He can finish on the Quarterback and has good sack production, this is mostly down to his IQ and how he keeps his eyes in the backfield to snag Quarterbacks trying to escape the pocket. He’ll also get home when he uses one of his excellent counters or after he has set up his opponent with enough power rushes to get in a bull-slip. This plan could use some more refinement but it’s already well developed. He isn’t though, someone who will consistently get to the edge, bend, dip and corner well to take down the QB at the back of the pocket. Competent teams chipped him a lot so he may see more opportunity early on an NFL field than he did at the end of his college career.

Defending the Run

He’s a high processor and it’s very difficult to scheme up anything that blocks him in the running game. He has exceptional hand usage against the run, which is the base for his strength as a run defender. He has outstanding hand timing, placement and power – locking out to gain leverage and always playing with excellent play strength. When he’s play-side setting the edge he gets into his blocker quickly and plays with leverage controlling the point of attack, constricting running lanes and he can tackle the runner in either gap. As a back-side defender he can get down the line of scrimmage quickly and against Outside Zone can make plays on the bend and bang read. He sees kick-out blocks and pullers coming very early and strategizes to get underneath those blocks. His competitive toughness is on display when defending the run and he can chase down plays well downfield to tackle the runner. When he faces more complex rushing offenses, he will freelance a little and chase the negative play, while he does get there frequently, he can also abandon his post and lose gap integrity on occasion. He also could play the option with a little more discipline than he does.

DRAFTED RAVEN COMP
Jaylon Ferguson

PRODUCTION
Final year on campus: 15 Sacks, 14 QB Hits, 50 Total Tackles, 2 FF
INJURY HISTORY: SR: Sprained left ankle in Cotton Bowl; missed no games.

RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 2
Intelligence 5
Versatility 4
Grit 5
Scheme 4