Davis Tull 2015 NFL Draft scouting report

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Davis Tull

• Position: Edge Rusher (ER)
  
• Class: Senior
  
• College: Tennessee Chattanooga
  
• Ht/Wt: 6'2", 246 pounds
  

Scouting Report

Davis Tull is a small but productive FCS edge rusher, a teammate of fellow Chattanooga prospect Derrick Lott. He's very explosive off the snap, and has a relentless motor on every play. Tull is one of the more creative rushers I saw in this draft class. He has a great spin move in his arsenal, attacks inside and outside, and has active, sloppy rip and swim techniques. Despite his smaller size, he has a strong enough core that he's actually a pretty good bull rusher against weaker tackles, though he doesn't often that approach. He's rarely latched onto by tackles, moving quickly enough that they can't get a solid grip. He holds his own in the run game, and is capable of good pursuit from the back side.

The biggest challenge Tull faces stems from his physical limitations. With small size and short arms, Tull has to work extra hard to outmatch tackles. He has no experience dropping into coverage, or even really playing from a two-point stance, so although I think he'd work best as a pass rushing linebacker, he'd have a lot to learn about the technique in that department. He didn't even move around the defensive line, sticking at left end. Tull is also prone to working himself into a rut. The majority of his rush attempts were outside rushes and very few of them made it home. When he switched to an inside move or another technique he saw success, but that often took him half a game or more of being ineffective.

Grade

At this point I don't see anything remarkable about Tull's NFL potential besides his spin move, good athleticism, and his constant effort. I think he'll make his money in the league if he can contribute on special teams. Down the line he might develop into a project linebacker like Arthur Moats (who also made the transition from college defensive end), but that will take some time. I'd probably wait until the sixth round to draft him.