Tyson Alualu: 2010 NFL Draft Player Profiles

Tyson Alualu—DT/DE, 6'2" 290 lbs., Second or Third Round Pick

Pros  

Alualu plays with a reckless abandon on the field. He seems to always be in the right place at the right time, and he is already to make a big play. Alualu has great size—6’2” 290 lbs.—to either play at a 4-3 defensive tackle, 4-3 defensive end, or even a 3-4 defensive end. This versatility has general managers foaming at the mouth to jump on the Cal product.

Alualu was also great at pumping up his teammates. He showed this ability in the Senior Bowl, where he often appeared to be the leader of North’s defense. Alualu also impressed scouts with his stellar play—he recovered a fumble and had many tackles—and he also played both defensive end and defensive tackle. Alualu should provide a team with versatility and a love for the game of football.

He could become a steal in the second or third round, and he could possibly give just as much production as Tyson Jackson in the NFL. Often, players who work as hard as Alualu will have very successful careers in football.

Cons

Alualu does not have many negatives. Some teams who are looking for a freak in the weight room will be a little turned off by Alualu. He is a guy who is definitely more impressive on the field than during drills or lifting.

Alualu also will not impress general managers by his sprinting speed—he is expected to run somewhere in the low five seconds in the 40—or his number of bench reps.

Overview

Tyson Alualu was an enormously productive player in college, who should continue his trend of success in the pros. He is very instinctive and intense on the field, and teams will love the fact that he played in all 52 games in college.

With the success of so many NFL Polynesian players—Troy Polamalu, Haloti Ngata, Domata Peko—Alualu should continue this great play in the NFL. It would not be out of the question to see Tyson Alualu starting his rookie season and even making some Pro Bowls down the road. He works too hard to be denied of a big NFL career.