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Texans Gab 2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Utah DT Star Lotulelei
+ 320 lbs athlete who runs and moves extremely well for his size
+ Built like a boulder, solid and possesses great natural strength both in the lower half and upper body
+ Extremely quick and agile for DT, can change direction, extremely light on his feet
+ Lateral mobility is great for his size, able to change direction and redirect like a linebacker
+ Generates great explosion and power off the snap, with good burst and pad leverage
+ Quicker than fast, exhibits short area explosion and burst, both with his get off and ability to shoot his hands
+ Can accelerate through gaps and to the ball easily, often beats OL to gaps and gets into backfield
+ Outstanding strength, lower half strength makes him extremely tough to move off the line with one blocker
+ Star’s power/quickness combination is rare, not many naturally gifted athletes like him
+ Position versatile, stout and strong enough to play in a two gap system and on the nose tackle
+ Quick and fast enough to be a 4-3 DT, in which he can penetrate push the pocket and twist/stunt
+ Can also play in a 3-4 system on the end, in which he sets the edge, ties up blockers
- Could stand to shed some body fat without sacrificing strength
- Conditioning could be a factor in NFL, where speed of play is quicker and playing field is level strength wise
Star Lotulelei possesses a combination of size, power, quickness and strength that is truly elite. Lineman this big that move as well as Star are few and far between.
His power at the line of scrimmage to take on and eat up blocks will make other linemen around him better. He is near impossible to block one on one and has to be assigned multiple blockers at a time. His strength and quickness allows him to beat blocks and make plays in the run game consistently.
He should be able to play multiple positions in most different schemes from NT to 4-3 DT. His ability to push the pocket has created havoc for opposing rushing offenses. While he isn’t much of a natural pass rusher he does exhibit the natural tools to become better once he learns some try pass rush technique and moves.
As long as he can learn how to not take plays off and work on his motor Star could be a “star” in the NFL. He hasn’t been as productive as Haloti Ngata was at the college level, but he possesses the natural ability and skill set to turn into that type of player int he NFL. He will be highly sought after by probably every team picking in the top ten.
He won’t make it out of the top ten and probably will be picked in the top five of the 2013 NFL Draft.
For the NFL, he is an ideal fit as a 3-4 Nose or 4-3 Tackle. He is scheme-friendly, so his value will be high to most every team in the league. With his combination of freakish size and surprising athletic ability, regardless of his motor inconsistencies, he will be an extremely high pick because there simply are not these kinds of body types available all over college football.
Many will try to compare him to Haloti Ngata, the former Oregon and current Baltimore Ravens’ defensive lineman, but he does not have the track record of dominance Ngata displayed with the Ducks. Still, Star is a rare breed, can wreck the middle of an offense and should go on to have a lengthy professional career. – Phil Savage
Lotulelei is one of the more dynamic and game changing defensive players in this draft. Despite only starting for one season, he has the making of a top pick in the 2013 Draft.
Lotulelei was not highly recruited coming out of high school and started off at Snow College in 2009. He finished with 52 tackles,14 tackles for a loss and three sacks. In 2010, his first season in Utah, he was a backup up until the final three games, when he finally had the chance to start. Last season was his first real shot to show what he could do and he didn’t disappoint.
While the box score never showed it, Lotulelei is the person that every offensive coordinator game planned for. He only finished with 1.5 sacks, but altered play calls and plugged up running lanes. – Jeremy Cabler
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2013-02-08 19:02:00
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