NFL Draft 2023 tracker: Live blog and pick-by-pick analysis
The Chargers selected USC edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu in the second round with the 54th pick, bolstering their depth behind their top tandem of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
Draft grades: Scott Dochterman on Round 1 | Round 2-3
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?
Big board ranking
Tuipulotu was the 75th-ranked player on Dane Brugler’s big board. Brugler mocked Tuipulotu to the Chargers in the third round — at pick No. 85 — of his seven-round mock. The Chargers needed to address edge rusher at some point on Day 2, considering where their depth stood entering the draft. The board did not fall in an ideal way. Four edge rushers went in the first 15 picks of the second round. I had three primary needs for the Chargers entering this draft: tight end, edge rusher and receiver. They addressed receiver in the first round with Quentin Johnston. Now they addressed edge. There were tight end options available at 54, namely Georgia’s Darnell Washington and South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft. They opted instead for an important defensive rotational piece after going offense in the first round.
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Introduction
Tuipulotu was a highly productive player in 2022, leading FBS in sacks with 13.5 and ranking second in tackles for loss with 22. The Chargers have valued college production at edge rusher with previous selections. Chris Rumph II, the Chargers’ 2021 fourth-round pick, had 34 sacks over three college seasons. Tuipulotu, at 6 foot 3 and 266 pounds, offers considerably more size and power than Rumph. He lined up inside and outside for the Trojans, rushing from both a standing stance and with his hand in the dirt. Tuipulotu has shorter arms (32.25 inches) and did not test at the combine or pro day because of a right hamstring injury. He is not an elite athlete for the position and has only “average get-off,” according to Brugler. But he is a high-motor player with heavy hands, and his effort was likely an attractive trait for coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
How he fits
The Chargers wanted to take an edge rusher in the 2022 draft, but they did not get the right opportunity with the way the board fell. Instead, they signed Kyle Van Noy after the draft as their rotational edge rusher behind Bosa and Mack. Bosa tore his groin in Week 3 and missed most of the regular season, forcing Van Noy into a full-time edge rushing role. Van Noy played well down the stretch, but it took him until the second half of the season to find his rhythm. The Chargers’ edge rushing depth was a major roster hole in 2022. Rumph suffered a knee injury in Week 7 and did not take the leap the Chargers were hoping for. Tuipulotu fills that hole. He won’t turn 21 until September and should have a ton of potential as he matures. He started 30 straight games for the Trojans from 2020 to 2022.
Rookie impact
Tuipulotu will push for significant playing time as a rookie. In a perfect world, Bosa and Mack will both play 80-plus percent of the defensive snaps each game. But as we saw last year with Bosa’s injury, that perfect world is not necessarily realistic. Mack turned 32 in February. Bosa has played a full season just three times in his career. Tuipulotu adds insurance for the Chargers’ two star pass rushers and, at his age, has a ton of room to grow into a starter down the road.
Depth-chart impact
Rumph is a solid special teams player, but he has not developed into the pass rusher or run defender the Chargers were expecting when they drafted him in 2021. He is best served in a fourth edge rusher role, making his biggest impact as a special teams coverage player. The addition of Tuipulotu allows that.
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Fast evaluation
Tuipulotu might not have top-tier athleticism, but he is a very young player coming off one of the most productive pass-rushing seasons in college football last year. He brings a ton of upside at a position of need for the Chargers. Brugler had a third-round grade on Tuipulotu, noting some weaknesses in his get-off, a lack of explosiveness and some inconsistencies in the run game and as a tackler. But he was 62nd on The Athletic’s final consensus big board, so I would not characterize this as a reach. The Chargers could not go another draft without using a top-100 pick on an edge rusher. This pick makes sense on several levels.
(Photo: Ric Tapia / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
