Is Sean Tucker turning into something special?
Last year, the Tampa Bay Bucs snagged an undrafted rookie running back out of Syracuse— Sean Tucker. Tucker was somewhat of a prize rookie addition to Tampa’s backfield, many expected he would be a high-caliber first-year performer despite going undrafted. Some of the hype around Tucker stemmed from the fact that his status as an undrafted player was due mostly to a medical situation, rather than his ability or college production.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
At Syracuse, Tucker had over 3,000 yards rushing and scored more than 30 touchdowns across his three seasons as a member of the Orange. Tucker’s collegiate production was certainly worthy of a draft selection. Lance Zierlein, of NFL.com, had Tucker projected as a mid-round pick when he came through the scouting process. Some of the strengths he saw in Tucker’s game were his ability to run strong through contact—
“Runs low to the ground with balance to fight through contact… Lower body strength helps him plow through arm tackles.”
Zierlein also offered praise for Tucker’s general feel as a runner—
“Good patience with the ability to run defenders into blocks… Finds a lateral escape hatch from inside the run lane… Instinctive feel for creating optimal space from tacklers.”
As a rookie, Tucker wasn’t necessarily bad— He was a backup player and depth piece who played to that standard. Tucker carried the ball just 15 times with little success or memorable impact. Year two for Tucker will feature a new offensive coordinator and run scheme. A scheme that, through two preseason games, seems to fit him like a tailored suit.
Sean Tucker just made the nastiest cut pic.twitter.com/naxPWCiTH0
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 18, 2024
In two preseason games, Tucker has 14 carries for 100 yards. Those 100 yards on the ground qualify as the fourth-most league-wide.
Tucker’s unlikely to be starter or recieve this level of opportunity when the regular season arrives, but Tampa Bay might have some sleeper depth in their running back room.
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