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Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa NFL Draft Profile
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Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Scouting ReportTagovailoa-Amosa is an extremely interesting player, due in large part to his versatile past as a defensive lineman. Last year, he was up over 280 pounds and playing on the interior. This season, he trimmed down to 268, and he’s primarily playing on the edge, although he still rotates inside on occasion. Tagovailoa-Amosa has a dense, heavy frame for his position and solid proportional length. That length serves as a nice conduit to generate force. He’s a powerful player who can shove blockers aside with forceful extensions. With those extensions, he can also compress the backfield and eliminate pocket space. Tagovailoa-Amosa can generate a great deal of force by extending his arms into his opponent’s torso, and those extensions are a large part of his game. Tagovailoa-Amosa plays with great natural leverage and pad level. He also has some measured athleticism within his frame. The Notre Dame DE has good burst off the snap, and he generates strong initial momentum. That burst also shows up when closing in tackling situations. Tagovailoa-Amosa is fairly twitchy coming off the line, and when extended, he has solid leg drive. He has some lateral burst when traversing the edge, and he’s displayed a spin move in his arsenal on the interior. He brings good pursuit speed, although this derives more from his hustle. Although he shouldn’t be used in space often, he does have the length and spatial awareness to drop back in coverage in tighter spots. Tagovailoa-Amosa’s physical profile is one of the more intriguing parts of his game, but the Notre Dame DE has an excellent mental makeup as well. He comes off the line with a lot of juice and energy, and he’s an extremely high-motor player even as plays draw on. Beyond that, he’s clearly picked up some things with his sheer experience over the years. Tagovailoa-Amosa knows how to split double-teams with violent hands. He uses those same violent hands to take advantage of imbalanced linemen in the running game. He knows to reset his hands as he drives opponents back to maximize leverage as a pass rusher. He’s also shown flashes of targeted usage. Tagovailoa-Amosa is opportunistic when quarterbacks expose themselves in space. The Notre Dame DE can proactively use his length to jar out the ball, generating turnovers. He’s also shown that he can diagnose screens and seal off lanes with his frame. Expanding on that frame, with his size and experience on the interior, Tagovailoa-Amosa is excellent at stunting inside and has great projected versatility. |
Areas for ImprovementTagovailoa-Amosa has good burst and great power, he might not be an elite athlete. He doesn’t have elite long-track explosiveness. Longer linemen can gather him, and his burst sometimes fades out as he reaches the apex of his rushes. At that apex, Tagovailoa-Amosa doesn’t have the bend or dip to reduce his surface area and pinch the corner. Additionally, Tagovailoa-Amosa doesn’t have the sheer speed to get around the edge. Meanwhile, in space, the Notre Dame DE can be stiff and lumbering as a mover. Tagovailoa-Amosa can keep refining his hand usage. His hands aren’t always as precise or as targeted as they need to be. He often defers to his extensions. While those are powerful, defensive linemen need to be more creative in certain situations regarding usage and stacking counters. Tagovailoa-Amosa sometimes loses his balance after first approach. His anchor placement can be streaky at times, which can sap away his leverage in run-defending situations. The Notre Dame DE might be a better fit on the interior at the next level, although he is versatile.
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Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Career at SchoolTagovailoa-Amosa was a natural on the college football stage, and he infused the Notre Dame defensive line with needed depth and talent. Although he wasn’t at the top of the depth chart, Tagovailoa-Amosa was a steady contributor in his true-freshman campaign. The Notre Dame DE appeared in all 13 games and logged 13 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Tagovailoa-Amosa was set for an increase in production the following year. However, early on, the Notre Dame DE broke his foot. He took a medical redshirt and returned in 2019, where he then became a starter on the defensive front. Tagovailoa-Amosa would carry that starting title through 2020. Across that two-year span at defensive tackle, Tagovailoa-Amosa amassed 40 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, a forced fumble, a pass deflection, and 3 fumble recoveries. In 2021, the Fighting Irish changed defensive coordinators and brought in upstart coach Marcus Freeman from Cincinnati. Under Freeman’s direction, Tagovailoa-Amosa shaved off around 15 pounds and slid out to the edge. He’s still on the interior situationally, but his ability to shift around the line has only magnified his propensity for production.
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Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa NFL Draft Player ProfileTagovailoa-Amosa’s traits are appealing. The Notre Dame DL can generate ample power with his short-area burst and length. Furthermore, with his natural leverage and reach, he can be versatile, and a lot of his best reps come on the interior. Having that flexibility across the line will increase his standing on draft boards. Tagovailoa-Amosa doesn’t have the long-track explosiveness or speed to be a threat around the edge. His traits translate better to consistent production inside at 3-technique. But for teams with hybrid fronts, his experience across the line will be an asset. Tagovailoa-Amosa is a high-motor player and a high-character person. A team captain with a wealth of experience and versatility, he should safely be in the draft discussion. And if he keeps producing, he could be drafted safely within the middle rounds.
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