From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Ohio State EDGE JT Tuimoloau.
#44 JT TUIMOLOAU/EDGE OHIO STATE – 6050, 269 POUNDS (SENIOR)
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| JT Tuimoloau | 6’5/269 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Good
– Gets off the line like he’s shot out of a cannon
– Disruptive run defender
– Has a go-to spin that works a good majority of the time
– Great size for a defensive end, falling in the 88th percentile for height and 72nd percentile for weight
– Good production and improving every season of college
– Great age, being only 21 on draft day with no worrying injuries
– Plays the passing lane as the quarterback enters his throwing motion
– Receives a lot of double teams, which opens opportunities for teammates
– Shows off a solid long-arm
– Pretty safe player with a good ceiling if developed and a solid floor if not
Bad
– Struggles with using power as the main part of his game
– Needs refinement with hand fighting to improve his bag of moves
– Just an okay bend that limits his rush
– Needs to improve coverage ability for a team to trust him in that role
– At times, he can go through a pass-rushing slump where he won’t generate much pressure on consecutive snaps
– Only has generated two turnovers in his last 34 games
– Lacks effort once a double team comes his way
Bio
– 21 years old (May 10th, 2003)
– 51 games played for Ohio State from 2021 to 2024
– 144 tackles, 23.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and 45 tackles for loss in his college career
– 61 tackles, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 22 tackles for loss in 2024
– 2025 ankle injury vs Texas
– Five-star DL in his 2021 high school class from Sammamish, WA
– Four-year high school basketball team member playing guard, forward, and center, averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game in a shortened 2020 season while earning a scholarship offer from Oregon
– Real first name is Jaylahn
– Was the 2nd overall prospect in his high school class, only behind Quinn Ewers
– Was compared to Cameron Heyward coming out of high school in 2020 by 247 National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman
– Has three sisters, including Zeryhia-Lee Tuimoloau Aokuso, who plays basketball at Santa Monica College
– 2024 National Champion
Tape Breakdown
It’s only fitting to start JT Tuimoloau’s film breakdown with what I believe is his best performance: the 2022 Penn State game. In this game, he recorded six tackles, two sacks, two interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown), a forced fumble that he recovered himself, and a pass deflection that led to a teammate’s interception. In this play, Tuimoloau starts throwing the tackle to the ground before reading that it was a screen and playing the passing lane immediately. Tuimoloau can then use his reaction skills and athletic ability to make a full-body-extension interception and return it for a touchdown. Everything about this play is impressive from start to finish and mainly just showcases his ability to play the passing lanes with his reaction skills.
— Steven (@Elspedd) February 21, 2025
This next play is actually from the same game and is being highlighted for a similar reason. Here, Tuimoloau is given a free release off the line as Penn State is running a wide receiver screen again. He can play the passing lane and knock the pass up in the air, which results in an interception for Ohio State. These clips show why it is so important that pass rushers take pride in always playing passing lanes. It always has the chance to benefit your team in one way or another, and Tuimoloau is an example of that.
— Steven (@Elspedd) February 21, 2025
Now, moving into more of the recent film to show off my favorite trait of Tuimoloau, his run defense. As a run defender, Tuimoloau is very quick and slippery, making him so dangerous. Here, he gets a lightning-quick release off the snap to beat the pulling guard and blow up the motion man to generate the tackle for loss. This, paired with his ability to keep his eyes in the backfield at all times, makes him such a good run defender, which will translate into the NFL.
— Steven (@Elspedd) February 21, 2025
As a pass rusher, Tuimoloau has his inconsistencies. However, he flashes promise, which makes me feel confident that his speed and motor can make him really dangerous. Here, he is supposed to be chipped by the tight end and picked up by the pulling tackle. Yet he beats the tight end so badly that the tight end is forced to stay on that block for longer and hardly release into his route. When the tackle gets to Tuimoloau, he is able to cross the tackle’s face and have a straight line to the quarterback.
This play is essentially a double team that Tuimoloau is able to beat and create quarterback pressure by using his speed, motor, and swim. More development with the base that is already there and we could be looking at a premiere pass rusher in a few years.
— Steven (@Elspedd) February 21, 2025
Tuimoloau uses power as his main go-to pass rush move, and while I don’t think that should be his go-to in the NFL, it worked for him in college. Here, he lowers his shoulder into the Tennessee tackle and runs straight to the quarterback, relying on strength to get him there. This kind of play style will work as a compliment, but Tuimoloau needs to refine his hand fighting so that power is not his only form of pass rush and he can reach his true ceiling.
— Steven (@Elspedd) February 21, 2025
Conclusion
Overall, I think it is clear why JT Tuimoloau had the prestigious five-star rating coming out of high school. He has a really high ceiling but needs more time to develop and fit into that mold. By the looks of his college career, it seems he is on that path by how he improved every season. I can see Tuimoloau becoming a double-digit sack type of player with the refinement of his bend and hand fighting. He offers a day-one rotational talent specializing in run defense, which is a pretty safe floor and an intriguing ceiling.
My NFL comparison for Tuimoloau is Preston Smith. Both are around the same size, with Smith having a more compact build. They showed to be impressive run defenders who have traits that flash potential as pass rushers. While Smith didn’t dominate the stat sheet at Mississippi State, his skillset and intangibles suggested a strong NFL career, which led to him being drafted early in the second round. I see the same trajectory for Tuimoloau, who even had better stats in his time with Ohio State.
Projection: Early Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 8.4 – Second Round (Future Quality Starter)
Games Watched: Oregon (2024), Tennessee (2024), Texas (2024), Penn State (2022)
