STRENGTHS: Possesses broad shoulders, a slim waste and a powerful lower half, looking the part of an NFL linebacker. Highly instinctive defender. Seemingly is always around the ball. Recovered 10 fumbles over his career.
Quickly steps up in run support, slipping past would-be blockers to meet backs in the hole. Tough. Willing to sacrifice his body to take on the double-team and will attempt to build a pile to jam things up for his teammates to make the easy play.
Good lateral agility to avoid and has enough strength and arm-length to shed. Patient tackler. Breaks down well, waiting for the ballcarrier to commit before latching on for the drag-down tackle.
Good vision and recognition in coverage. Balanced and fluid when dropping back, presenting a surprisingly tough matchup for running backs and tight ends. Helped himself with a solid week of practice at the Senior Bowl.
WEAKNESSES: Despite his reputation, plays with a little more finesse than physicality. Grabs and swings ballcarriers to the ground, on occasion, rather than accelerating through them.
Loses containment responsibilities by getting too caught up with blockers. Missed all but three games of the 2011 season with a shoulder injury which required season-ending surgery.
COMPARES TO: K.J. Wright, OLB, Seattle Seahawks - Like Wright, Tripp possesses the instincts to play in the middle but his fluidity and length could also see clubs view him as more effective on the perimeter. A selection outside the top 100 is likely, but Tripp could develop into a surprising starter.
Tripp was a relative man amongst boys at the FCS level, earning a spot among the finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award as the best small school defender in the country. The third-generation Grizzly also proved that he could handle the jump in competition by enjoying a solid week at the Senior Bowl.
In some respects, Tripp is the stereotypical small school linebacker, as he is highly instinctive, tenacious and a team captain.
Don't sell Tripp short, however. Besides sporting a legitimate NFL frame, he's also a fluid athlete with good closing speed. He possesses the length and burst to intrigue as a pass rusher but only posted 11 sacks over 40 career games (25 starts) because he was more dangerous handling the run from the middle and dropping back into coverage.
As such, proponents of the traditional 4-3 alignment may find Tripp a good fit.
--Rob Rang (2/4/14)
