Jets select center Joe Tippmann: Examining his analytic profile

With the 43rd pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the New York Jets selected Wisconsin Center Joe Tippmann. This is a name Jets fans might be familiar with as he was often taken by the Jets in mock drafts, including within the GGN crowdsourced mock draft. For those who are less familiar with Tippmann, this article is intended to provide some extra context and information about this Jets’ selection by discussing his analytical profile.

Joe Tippmann

Age: 22 (born March 24, 2001, so he will be 22 on opening day)

Relative Athletic Score: Tippmann did not participate in the full slate of athletic testing at the NFL combine or at his pro day, and, thus, did not qualify for a RAS score. Where measurements were available (size and bench press), he had above average measurements. This tells us nothing about his agility or general quickness, but does paint the picture of a larger, stronger center than is typical.

Career stats through 24 games last 2 seasons per ProFootballFocus (2022 stats in parentheses):

• 625 pass block snaps (359)
• 1 sack allowed (1)
• 4 QB hits allowed (2)
• 4 QB hurries allowed (2)

While PFF does not have counting stats on run blocking, we can see that Tippman was a very effective pass blocker during his two seasons as the starting center as Wisconsin. Further support for how effective Tippmann was as a pass blocker was provided by ESPN Reporter Rich Cimini:

2022 Performance per ProFootballFocus:

• Overall grade: 78.7
• Pass blocking grade: 79.2
• Run blocking grade: 78.3

Overall, we see a very very balanced player who succeeded in both the run and the pass game. While exact percentiles are not reported on PFF’s website, his run and pass blocking grades both appear to be 80th percentile or better among interior offensive lineman with 350+ blocking snaps.

Draft Projection

GrindingTheMocks does a really neat exercise wherein they combine the available mock drafts to form a “consensus” big board. Within this, Tippman was a bit of a “riser” as he was projected as a potential day 3 pick in most mocks until after the college season concluded. However, the selection of Tippmann at 43 does appear to align with the general mock draft community’s expectations as of late and his “rising” status may simply reflect an unfamiliarity with Tippmann by mock draft creators earlier in the year.

Summary

Tippman’s performance at Wisconsin was extremely strong. He succeeded both as a pass and as a run blocker, providing reason to hope that he can be a plus starter at the NFL level. From my perspective, the lone concern is the potential for athletic limitations. While Tippmann reportedly had a hamstring injury that prevented him from testing, he would not be the first player to use an injury as a way to avoid testing. However, in looking at his tape, athleticism does not appear to be a glaring concern, so this may be a case of a player truly being hurt at an inopportune time.