Henry To’oTo’o NFL Draft Scouting Report

LB, Alabama Crimson Tide

The college football world has been aware of Henry To’oTo’o’s high-caliber talent level for a long time now. The 6-foot-2, 228-pound middle linebacker, who also played running back in high school at De La Salle in California, committed to play at Tennessee over Alabama, Oregon, USC, and Washington, to name a few. To’oTo’o earned the starting middle linebacker job as a true freshman and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after totaling 72 tackles in his first season of college football. He led the Volunteers with 76 tackles as a sophomore, earning Second-Team All-SEC honors. After the season, he transferred to Alabama after considering Ohio State as well. 

The talent level is clearly there and recognized nationally. He earned Second-Team All-SEC in 2021 again after leading the Tide in tackles with 113 and was First-Team All-SEC in 2022 as a senior—a season in which he totaled 94 total tackles. 

To’oTo’o is a smart, instinctive, physical linebacker who will produce consistently as a tackler. His biggest strengths are his mind, tackling ability, and mobility. He moves well laterally with great speed and is a flexible defender, which allows him to contort his body and make difficult tackles. His leadership abilities are clear as he is a great communicator who takes control of a defense and gets his teammates into the correct position where everyone can do their job. He can be trusted to be placed in the middle of a defense and run it effectively, either on his own in a 4-3 or 4-2-5, but can still play with another inside backer in a 3-4. He’s shown to be effective in the slot and at WILL linebacker and does well with taking over routes in pass coverage as well. He has the speed to run with receivers and play underneath effectively enough that a quarterback must lift the ball and make a perfect throw. 

Where To’oTo’o needs to improve, however, is in block deconstruction. Whether he rushes and plays as a quarterback spy or not, he tends to give up on pass rush and float instead of continuing to fight to get to the quarterback. There are times when he is picked up by a running back in protection and loses the one-on-one matchup at the point of attack when it’s clear he should win. For these reasons, his competitive edge becomes questionable at times, and his ability to strain in crunch times when it matters most doesn’t always show on film. He is better at block deconstruction in space, although tight ends and offensive linemen moving to the second level have shown to get their hands on and become a problem for him. While he produces tackles consistently, he will whiff in tight space on a ball carrier on a play that he should easily make. Making the plays he is supposed to make will make him a better run defender as a whole.

All in all, I like To’oTo’o a lot and he’s a definite day-two guy who I project to go high third round. His weaknesses are teachable and can be corrected. If he uses his physicality with the mindset of dominating his competition, he’s a guy who can come in and start right away at the MIKE linebacker position.

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Smart backer with great instincts
• Produces tackles consistently
• Moves well laterally

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Does not deconstruct blocks well
• Inconsistencies when defending the run
• Competitive edge is sometimes questionable

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 1”

Weight: 227 lbs

Arm Length: 32 3/4”

Hand Size: 10 1/4”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.62s

Vertical Jump: 32”

Broad Jump: 9′ 8”

Short-Shuttle: 4.40s

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD

Ideal Role: Starting MIKE linebacker 

Scheme Fit: 3-4 or 4-3 scheme with stunts and pressure tendencies

Prospect Comparison: Ernest Jones (2021 NFL Draft)

TDN Consensus Grade: 79.50/100 (Third-Round Value)

• Haskins Grade: 79.50/100

Written By: Tyler Haskins

Exposures: Georgia (2021 – CFP), Cincinnati (2021), Georgia (2021 – NCG), Tennessee (2022), LSU (2022), Ole Miss (2022), Kansas State (2022)

Henry To’oTo’o NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.