Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Tippmann is next up on our scouting report series as we continue to inch closer to the 2023 NFL draft.
Tippmann is a massive interior lineman with a physically-imposing physique, standing at 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds — and he knows how to use every bit of it to his advantage.
The former Badger has been a popular player among the countless Titans fans that share their mock drafts on social media — and for good reason.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Indiana native finished the last two seasons with an average overall grade of 81.9.
As always, this article is going to provide you with an educated opinion on the pros and cons of selecting the mammoth interior lineman.
Before we get started, a quick reminder that unless noted otherwise, all of the grades and individual rankings that are included are my own opinions.
Now, let’s find out what exactly it is that makes Tippmann such a popular prospect among teams that need offensive line help.
Measurables
- Height: 6’6’’
- Weight: 313 pounds
- Hand size: 10 ¾ ’’
- Arm length: 32 ¾
- 10-yard split: N/A
- Relative Athletic Score: N/A
College Accolades
- Honorable Mention All-Big 10 (2022)
2022 Stats
- Pass-block snaps: 359
- Run-block snaps: 399
- Hurries allowed: Two
- QB hits allowed: Two
- Sacks allowed: One
Grades, Projections, and Rankings
- Overall grade: 77.5 (second Round)
- Ceiling projection: Early Second
- Floor projection: Mid Third
- Position rank: No. 4
- Consensus rank: No. 5
Reasons to Buy In
- Cerebral presence along the interior who is constantly aware of how the defense is trying to attack, and he always has a plan to counter.
- More than capable of making the calls for the entire unit to put his guys in position to succeed.
- Combines his savviness with a unique blend of size, strength, and athleticism that ultimately gives him a relatively high ceiling.
- Fluid mover in space who would thrive in a zone-blocking scheme that will allow him to use his skill set to the fullest.
- A physical blocker who tries to win each rep in emphatic fashion.
- Has some truly impressive reps when he’s asked to perform reach blocks, cut-off’s, pulls, second-level climbs, etc.
- Can mirror finesse rushers in condensed spaces while also being strong enough to anchor against power rushers.
Areas of Concern
- His natural size is going to make it difficult for him to play with proper pad level on a consistent basis.
- Needs to do a better job of timing his punches with precision without sacrificing his power. Sometimes it’s one or the other.
- Has to do a better job of winning the leverage battle. Far too often he resorts to leading with his frame instead of his hands.
- Has a bad habit of over-leaning, which could leave him vulnerable against savvy defenders at the next level.
- Must be more calculated with his aggressive nature. He tends to occasionally go for the kill shot instead of trying to sustain his blocks.
- Inconsistent with his set points, often allowing defenders to get the edge when he either oversets or undersets.
- Not the most natural when it comes to bending his knees, and instead uses a less than ideal waist lean to overcompensate for it.
Fit with the Titans
Tippman would be a phenomenal addition to a Titans offensive line that often prioritizes size, strength, and athleticism.
The Wisconsin product not only possesses all of those traits, but he happens to be one of the savviest and most physical offensive linemen in this entire draft.
He is cerebral enough to know how defenses are attacking his unit, and he seemingly always has an answer to get his guys into the right position to counter that attack.
Tippman is the type of prospect who would do well in any scheme, but you’d have to imagine he would thrive in an offense that allows him to use his unique blend of size and athleticism to his advantage.
The former Badger excels at anything that allows him to get out into space and hit someone. Whether he’s pulling across the formation or reaching and sealing on a zone run, he can truly do it all at a relatively high level.
Tippman’s fantastic lateral movement skills would thrive in an offense like Tennessee’s. The Titans typically use a bunch of zone concepts that would undoubtedly utilize his skill set to the fullest.
When it comes to pass protection, he isn’t the most technically sound in the class, but the former Badger is reliable, only allowing one sack over his last 625 pass-blocking snaps.
Also, he may have been a center throughout his collegiate career, but you’d have to imagine someone with his athletic profile would be able to plug and play at left guard the second he arrives in Tennessee.
However, you can’t blame the Titans (or any team) if they prefer to keep him as the anchor and brains of the entire offensive line. If that’s the case, the Titans may be forced to move Aaron Brewer back to left guard.
Although, I personally think it’s more realistic that Tippman is the one who kicks inside for at least one year depending on what they do with Brewer beyond 2023.
Regardless, adding Tippman on Day 2 of the draft would be a slam-dunk selection for a Titans team that could use all help it can get along the offensive line.
Check out more scouting reports from Shaun Calderon!
