Name: Jay Tufele

School: USC

Year: Sr

Position: Interior Defensive Lineman

Measurements:  6’2” & 310 lbs

STATS:

General Info:

A 4-star prospect out of South Jordan, Utah, Jay Tufele was the fourth-rated defensive tackle in the 2017 class, and there is a greater than zero chance that he’ll be the first one of that class taken in this upcoming draft. Tufele saw offers from coast-to-coast including power programs like Michigan, Ohio St. and LSU. Tufele ultimately chose USC over the others, and that’s worked out well for his personal draft case.

In two seasons of play, Tufele improved across the board. He registered greater numbers in solo and assisted tackles, total tackles, tackles for loss and sacks from Year 1 to Year 2. Tufele elected to sit out the 2020 season in preparation for the NFL draft along with the caution of Covid-19 after a number of family members dealing with the effects of the illness If he had played during the 2020 season, it would have been interesting to see how he would have progressed in a USC program that ranked as high as 13 throughout the year and came up just seven points short of a Pac-12 championship that was their lone loss of the season.

Tufele is going to be a favorite of NFL teams during the pre-draft process due to his maturity and ability to interview well. Throw in his impressive pro day numbers, he’ll be punching for a top-three spot at the position with some of the other top options putting up inconsistent performances throughout their own pro days.

Positional Skills:

When you turn on the tape for Tufele, the first thing you’re going to notice is his motor. From the time the ball is snapped until the whistle blows, Tufele is constantly running. He had multiple instances of chasing down plays going away from him that plenty of other defensive linemen in this class would have let go. While he didn’t always get there to make the play, he was always hustling to get himself in position. He had a coach tell him, “Jay, if you don’t get tired, you’re going to make more plays than you can imagine.” That clearly stuck with him based on how hot his motor was running on an every-snap basis.

Tufele’s strength and activity level require opposing blockers to devote extra attention to him. In the running game specifically, he commands a double team on just about every play which helps to free up the linebackers that are crashing down behind him. He has the scheme versatility to play in either a traditional two-gap system or as a penetrating rusher in a one-gap system. His first-step quickness is impressive to say the least, and that get-off, specifically on passing downs, allows him to get potential blockers on the back foot before they’re ready for him which gives him a big advantage. In pass-rush situations, he has violent hands with a good amount of power that allows him to win the majority of his 1-on-1 battles.

The major concern with Tufele is going to be his processing. There were instances of him losing the ball in the backfield when there was a lot of motion with the receivers or other players in the backfield which will be a major focus for him to improve upon at the next level with the amount of motion that the majority of teams use. His motor allows him to stay in on plays that he misreads, but he could make better plays with better processing once the ball has been snapped. Tufele will also need to work on his pad level at the NFL level as there were times that he would play too high which gives the blockers an easier target to block with an easier opportunity to establish leverage when blocking.

Fit with the Packers:

Tufele would be a great fit with Green Bay alongside nose tackle Kenny Clark to give them an upgrade over players like Dean Lowry and Montravius Adams, who is now with the New England Patriots. Tufele is the type of player that fits perfectly in the mold of the defensive linemen that new defensive coordinator Joe Barry is looking for with his speed and explosiveness allowing him to win 1-on-1 pass-rush reps, which is a necessity in Barry’s scheme.

Along with his success in rushing the passer, Tufele can soak up multiple blockers to give linebackers room to pursue runners coming out of the backfield. Since Green Bay first switched to a base 3-4 scheme under Dom Capers in the 2009 season, they’ve asked their down lineman to focus on soaking up blockers more than rushing the passer. While Tufele can do both, his success in run defense is what would get him snaps early on while most rookies are focusing on figuring out that aspect of the game.

Clark often faces multiple blockers on every play because the other down-linemen don’t command as much attention. Tufele would change that, and, as we’ve seen with teams such as the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you can never have too many pass rushers. The more highly productive defensive linemen that you have makes every other player’s job easier which puts more pressure on the offense to block more rushers with fewer guys. If Tufele were to fall to the Packers at the end of the second round, he would get a hard look from GM Brian Gutekunst.