Jay Toia DT UCLA | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Jay Toia DT UCLA
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: NT/DT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/17/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 5.20 seconds (29%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 07/16/2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: NT/DT | |
| Last Updated: 04/17/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 5.20 seconds (29%*) | |
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 07/16/2003 | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 79.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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36% |
| Pass Rush: |
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64% |
| Run Defense: |
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66% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#202
Position rank:
#46
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| College Games: 49 College Snaps: 1554 | ||
ESPN RATING: 83/100
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247 RATING: 92/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cory Durden - NC State |
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74% |
| Otito Ogbonnia - UCLA |
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71% |
| DeWayne Carter - Duke |
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70% |
Drafted: ROUND: 7 - Pick Number: 217 (DAL)
Draft Profile: Bio
Jay Toia's journey to NFL prospect status is as unique as they come. Born in Inglewood, California before his family relocated to the Virgin Islands during his infancy, Toia grew up playing rugby with his brothers, developing the physicality that would later translate to the gridiron. It wasn't until 2017, when his family returned to Inglewood, that Toia was introduced to football by his uncle Chris Maumalanga – a former NFL defensive tackle who spent seven seasons in the league after being drafted in the fourth round in 1994. Despite having zero football experience, Toia enrolled at Grace Brethren Christian High School and immediately made an impact, rocketing up to varsity in his very first season playing the sport.The imposing defensive tackle flourished despite his late start, helping Grace Brethren to a 14-2 record and 2018 Division 2AA state championship while playing both ways as a sophomore. By his junior year, Toia had established himself as a force, racking up 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks and a forced fumble to earn first-team all-area honors. A four-star recruit ranked as the 27th defensive lineman nationally despite minimal experience, Toia initially committed to USC and enrolled early for spring practice in 2021, but made a surprising transfer to UCLA before the fall semester. This began his four-year Bruins career where he would amass 91 tackles, 9 TFLs and 3 sacks across 50 games, starting 36 contests including 12 starts in each of his final three seasons.
Football bloodlines run deep in the Toia family, with brother Siaki Ika selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, brother Sione playing defensive tackle at San Jose State, and brother Abitoni continuing the family's rugby tradition in New Zealand. The 6'2", 325-pound defensive tackle earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2024, capping off his collegiate career with an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he was ultimately a late scratch.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Mammoth frame with rare lower body density creates a nearly immovable anchor when he drops his pads and plays with proper leverage against double teams.
- Brings genuine bad intentions with his hands – throws powerful clubs and swipes that regularly jolt offensive linemen back and create immediate separation at the point of attack.
- Displays impressive short-area quickness for a man his size, showing the ability to shoot gaps occasionally and disrupt blocking schemes before they develop.
- Stubbornly holds his ground against double teams, refusing to cede territory and regularly requires extra attention which frees up teammates to make plays around him.
- Shows enough processing ability to diagnose blocking schemes quickly, particularly against zone runs where he understands how to maintain gap discipline.
- Brings relentless energy on every snap despite his massive frame, never taking plays off and maintaining consistent motor through four quarters.
- Significantly improved his third-down utility as a senior, doubling his pass-rush snap count and increasing pressures from just three in 2023 to an impressive 19 in 2024.
- Coaches consistently praise his selfless approach to the dirty work, willingly sacrificing personal stats to execute his role in the defensive scheme.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Limited tackle radius due to below-average arm length forces him to be exact with his positioning – can't reach out and finish plays that aren't directly in his path.
- Lacks creativity as a pass rusher, relying almost exclusively on power moves without counter elements when initial rush stalls against smart offensive linemen.
- Lateral mobility constraints become evident when forced to redirect quickly or pursue outside the tackles – becomes a non-factor once plays stretch horizontally.
- Too often leaves tackles on the field due to timing issues – arrives at the right spot but fails to collect himself quickly enough to finish the play.
- Needs to develop more consistent recognition skills against down blocks and combination blocks that catch him leaning or playing too high at the point of attack.
Scouting Report: Summary
The film shows a player with clear strengths and limitations that will shape his NFL trajectory. Toia brings immediate value as a run defender, using his natural leverage and impressive lower body strength to absorb double teams and occasionally reset the line of scrimmage. However, his limited lateral range and inconsistent block recognition will restrict his deployment primarily to early downs where his strengths can be maximized and weaknesses minimized.His pass rush contributions remain a work in progress. While he showed improvement as a senior by increasing his pressure numbers, Toia lacks the refined hand technique and counter moves necessary to consistently affect quarterbacks at the next level. His burst allows him to occasionally collapse the pocket through sheer power, but he'll need significant technical development to become anything more than an occasional push-rusher who forces quarterbacks to reset their platforms.
Toia's ceiling will be determined by how quickly he can develop the instincts and awareness that his limited football background hasn't yet provided. Coming late to the sport has given him raw tools but left gaps in his game recognition. His physical traits suggest rotational potential immediately, but inconsistent tackle efficiency and limited range will prevent three-down usage early in his career. The team that drafts him will be betting on development rather than day-one impact, understanding that patience may be required to unlock his complete skill set in a defensive front.
Written By:
Lennox Tate
Jay Toia percentiles vs other Defensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Jay Toia (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
262.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
63.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.