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 Utah defensive lineman Junior Tafuna.
No. 58, JUNIOR TAFUNA, DL, UTAH (Redshirt Senior) — 6034, 308 POUNDS
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Junior Tafuna | 6034/308 | 10 1/2″ | 32 1/2″ | 78 3/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.03 | 1.80 | 4.62 | 7.51 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 8’3″ | 28.5 | 24 |
THE GOOD
-Plays with good leverage and anchors well against the run
-Powerful player with good upper body strength to battle in the trenches
-Good athlete overall that shows good burst and bend along the defensive line
-Understands blocking schemes within the run game and attacks blocks to remain in gaps and stay assignment sound
-Experienced with a high football IQ
-Plays with a motor that runs hot, and effort is never an issue
-Unselfish player who sticks to his role, a true team player
THE BAD
-Lacks production across four seasons and 48 career games
-Doesn’t offer much juice as a pass rusher; doesn’t use hands well and hasn’t developed moves
-Arm length a concern despite versatility playing up and down the line of scrimmage
-Slow to disengage blocks and track down ball carriers
-Tends to get caught flat-footed in space and doesn’t finish plays consistently when opportunities are there
-Very little explosion off the ball at the snap to threaten gaps
BIO
-Played in 48 career games during his time at Utah, with 45 career starts
-Finished career with 108 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, nine passes defensed, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in his career
-Recorded 31 tackles, three tackles for loss, half a sack, and one interception in 2024
-Voted Big 12 Honorable All-Mention in 2024
-Was voted Pac-12 Second Team in 2023 and 2022 at Utah
-Named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2021
-Former 3-star recruit out of Bingham High School in Utah and was the No. 7 prospect in the state
TAPE BREAKDOWN
In a loaded defensive line class in the 2025 NFL Draft, a number of good college players might not stack up against others from a film study perspective, which could lead to them falling in the draft and not having as many opportunities as others.
Utah defensive lineman Junior Tafuna is one of those guys.
A personal favorite of mine for the last few years with the Utes, Tafuna, was seemingly a playmaker when watching Utah live over the years. But the film tells a different story regarding the redshirt senior defensive lineman.
Despite 48 career games (45 career starts), the production is lacking for Tafuna, who had just 108 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks in that time. Though the production isn’t there, there is a positionally sound, fundamentally sound player on tape who defends the run well and should have a future in the NFL as an early-down defensive tackle.
Tafuna moves pretty well laterally for his size. He has good eyes and football IQ as a run defender, knowing what’s coming at him from a blocking scheme.
He fights to remain in position and has the strength and power to anchor in place and hold his gap. However, you don’t often see much run success on his side.
Tafuna isn’t going to try to do more than his assignment as a run defender. This rep against Arizona in 2024 was a great example of that.
He has the power to anchor against the run and can control his gap. I like how he uses his head here, too, keeping it outside before peeking back inside to help stuff up the lane and contribute to the run stop. It’s heady stuff from the veteran, who is consistently assignment-sound on tape.
Power is a massive part of his game, and when he can win at the snap and gain control inside, it will be a rough ride for offensive linemen.
Once again, here against Arizona, he wins at the snap with hand placement, gaining control and leverage, and is able to outmuscle the lineman, getting his nose into the gap to combine for the run stop.
My biggest gripe with Tafuna as a run defender is the struggles to finish plays when he’s in the backfield. Take a look at this rep here against Arizona State last season.
It’s a quick win from Tafuna, and he’s square to the running back in the backfield with a clean shot for the TFL.
But he doesn’t have the lateral explosion or athleticism to stick with the running back, leading to the Arizona State running back getting around Tafuna and ripping off a sizable gain.
In these types of situations, as a defensive lineman, you need to finish the play. It was pretty disappointing that Tafuna didn’t.
He bounced back later in the game against the Sun Devils, stacking a block along the line of scrimmage, working down the line, shedding late in the rep, and getting in on the tackle for the short gain.
Tafuna shows flashes of dominance, but they’re few and far between, and his game needs a lot of work in terms of hand usage.
He doesn’t offer much of anything as a pass rusher, either. But again, he has great power, which needs to be tapped into consistently.
That’s a great rush against Arizona. He drives the lineman into the quarterback’s lap, disrupting the passer in the process. It’s a good display of power, and I wish he showed more of it as a pass rusher on tape, but this was the only instance of him winning with power, tapping into his brute strength.
CONCLUSION
Overall, Junior Tafuna has some good tape as a run defender, but he doesn’t provide much pass rush juice like some other late-round defensive linemen in the class. Also going against Tafuna is a lack of size and length. Despite having played 48 career games, his production isn’t there, which is concerning. He is sound against the run, though, and plays assignment sound, which profiles him as a two-down run defender.
But he has some developing to do as a pass rusher, including learning to utilize his hands better and making more plays to get after the quarterback. I see him as a Late-Day 3 selection who can slot into an even-man front and handle run-down reps early in his career.
Projection: Late Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.4 — Sixth/Seventh Round (End of Roster/ Practice Squad)
Games Watched: Arizona (2024), Arizona State (2024), Colorado (2024)
