NFL Draft Profile: Joe Tippmann, Interior Offensive Linemen, Wisconsin Badgers
In this story:
Joe Tippmann
Wisconsin Badgers
#75
Pos: iOL
Ht: 6060
Wt: 313
Hand: 1068
Arm: 3268
Wing: 8038
40: 5.15
DOB: 3/24/2001
Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN
High School: Bishop Dwenger
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Tippmann is an athletic, powerful center who excels at framing blocks and climbing to the second level, but there’s room to improve his footwork and leverage.
Evaluation:
Tippmann is a converted high school tackle with a high-end athletic profile. He earned a spot on Bruce Feldman’s 2022 Freaks List for The Athletic. Per Feldman, Tippmann squats 635 pounds, benches 455, runs a 4.31 20-yard shuttle, and posts a 1.65-ten-yard split. That 4.31 shuttle time would’ve been the best among the 41 offensive linemen who participated in the event at the 2022 NFL Combine. Tippmann is comfortable making callouts and adjusting his teammates pre-snap. He scans the field, accurately identifies post-snap threats, and is patient when addressing them. The redshirt junior has the athleticism and speed to land blocks on linebackers and defensive backs as a puller. He'll help seal initial blocks before climbing to the second level to pick off defenders. Tippmann takes effective angles to second-level defenders, although there are instances where he struggles to match the movement of more agile players. He usually looks comfortable operating in space. Tippmann’s first step is sufficient for establishing positioning on reach blocks. The Indiana native constantly looks for extra work and finishes defenders to the ground, but he could adopt a nastier mentality more often. He displays ideal core strength and a wide base with a stout anchor. Tippmann deadens power rushes, even when he gives some ground initially. He torques defenders out of the A-gap with his upper body strength and core. The former four-star recruit appears to have reliable grip strength. He frames blocks well and stays square to defenders. Tippmann’s independent hand usage and punch power could improve, but his hand placement is generally accurate and effective. He operates with good sink in his hips and bend in his knees, which negates some of the leverage issues he deals with as a larger center. Tippmann displays consistent leg drive in the run game and easily seals rushing lanes. Importantly, he had few to no off-target snaps in 2022. Penalties are a minor concern with Tippmann; he committed six in 2022. He’s guilty of playing with an elevated pad level and occasionally ducking his head into contact. The converted tackle comes with potential arm-length concerns. His footwork can be slow and staggered at times, and Tippmann occasionally stops his feet in pass protection. He’s not a sudden or twitchy athlete. His balance raises some concerns as he ends up on the ground a fair amount. Despite his leg drive, Tippmann doesn’t consistently generate immediate displacement in the run game.
Grade:
4th Round
Background:
Tippmann was a four-star offensive tackle recruit from Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 325 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 326 for On3.com. Tippmann was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. He was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He committed to Wisconsin over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Purdue. Tippmann earned First-Team All-State honors from the Associated Press as a high school senior. He was his league’s MVP in 2018, leading Bishop Dwenger to a 14-1 record and the Class 4A State Championship. In his final high school season, Tippmann was credited with 102 pancake blocks on offense and 41 tackles with three sacks on defense. He was Indiana Mr. Football offensive lineman as a senior. Tippmann was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2021 and 2022.
