Joe Tippmann Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

Joe Tippmann Draft Measurements

40-Yard Dash Time – 4.85

6’6” / 317 lbs.

 

Joe Tippmann Draft Profile

Joe Tippmann is a former 4-star recruit out of Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. According to his 247sports recruiting profile, he was the 3rd best player in Indiana in the 2019 recruiting class. He was also an offensive tackle in high school and then converted to center in college. Not only was he just a tackle in high school, he was the 15th-best tackle in the nation.

While achieving this status, he gained recognition from several Big Ten schools around his area. He received offers from Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. He also gained recognition from Notre Dame, Northwestern, Cincinnati, and Ball St. After receiving an offer from Wisconsin in November 2017, he committed just over a month later.

 

Strengths

 

Athleticism

Joe Tippmann displays loads of athleticism when blocking. When zone blocking, he is quick to get to the 2nd level to act as a lead blocker. When drive blocking, he shows good posture by keeping his back parallel to the ground as he explodes forward off the snap. In pass protection, he has good lateral agility and balance to contain defenders to the middle of his frame. He also has good coordination between his upper and lower body. This allows him to properly gain leverage on his defenders and adjust to any stunts or twists.

 

Pass Protection

When in pass protection, Tippman does a good job of getting set quickly after snapping the ball. This is due to his above-average athleticism that I mentioned earlier. He uses his quick feet to mirror any move that the defender makes and uses his power to force them off-balance. I am also impressed with his effectiveness in the phone booth. Regardless of the pass rush plan that a defender attacks him with, he does a good job of gaining leverage and finishing the block. This will either remove the defender from the play or ensure the QB has some more time in the pocket.

 

Gap Blocking

Although Joe Tippman is very solid in pass protection, he is at his best when he is gap-blocking. After snapping the ball, he is good at getting a punch off first at the point of attack. This often neutralizes the rusher because they get knocked back on their heels, thus losing all of their forward momentum. He is also good at pull blocking across the line due to his quickness and lateral agility allowing him to quickly get in front of the ball carrier. Tippmann is also a solid lead blocker at the middle of the line. If he does not have a blocking assignment, he is good at helping on double teams often opening up lanes for Braelon Allen.

 

Anchor

In order to be an effective center, you need to have a good anchor against the bull rush. When lined up opposite of nose tackles he does a good job of keeping his center of gravity low. This allows him to neutralize the defender when they try to drive him backward. By being able to hold his ground, his QB has some extra time in the pocket to make a play.

 

Weaknesses

 

Zone Blocking

As I mentioned earlier, Tippmann is good at using his athleticism to quickly get to the 2nd level. Unfortunately, once he gets there, his blocking effectiveness goes down drastically. When moving up to the 2nd level, he seems to lose the power that he always possesses in the phone box. This hinders his ability to finish blocks and eliminate defenders from the play. He also has a tendency to place his hands too high on the defender at the point of attack. He should have his hands on the chest or bicep of the defender, but he often has them up towards the shoulder pads.

 

Pad Level

Given Tippmann’s size and frame, it can be difficult to keep his center of gravity low at the point of attack. This leads to him getting too vertical and being forced back on his heels, which gets rid of all of his power to neutralize the defender. If he can work on sinking his hips more after the snap, he will be better at gaining leverage and neutralizing defenders in pass protection.

 

Joe Tippmann Draft Stock

Tippmann was one of the top offensive linemen in the Big Ten this season. Although he needs to work on his zone blocking and keeping his pad level lower, he has the potential to be a solid starter in the NFL. With that being said, I would look to take him in the 4th round. Getting him this late would be an absolute steal, because he can sit for a year or two and develop his game. With Jason Kelce nearing retirement, I think Tippmann would be a solid replacement for the Eagles when Kelce does retire.

 

Final Thoughts on Joe Tippmann

Joe Tippmann is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in this draft class. He displays good quickness and explosiveness off the snap which allows him to quickly gain leverage. In pass protection, he is effective against the bull rush because he is very strong at the point of attack. He is also good at dropping the anchor against the bull rush forcing defenders upward and onto their heels. Finally, he is at his best when he can act as a lead blocker in gap-blocking schemes.

 

Player Comparison

He reminds me a lot of former Wisconsin Center and current Dallas Cowboy Tyler Biadasz. His athleticism and power also show me glimpses of Tyler Linderbaum.