Bucky Hodges = Devin Funchess.


Pass

 

 

 

Not so fast. ... I keep seeing people all gaga over the guy. I'm not going round two for Hodges, but in round three I'm considering it, and if he falls to round four I wouldn't even hesitate.


 

Here's an article with a statline atop suggesting he runs a sub-4.8 at 6-6 with the following comments...


 

 

In terms of the size, speed and strength package...Hodges might just be the freakiest pass-catcher in the country... Once on the field...Hodges quickly emerged as a standout, earning Freshman All-American honors (USA Today) by setting a new school record (for freshmen tight ends)... He proved last season that his impressive debut was hardly a fluke..

 

Bucky is not only tall, but the former qb is incredibly athletic able to jump in order to maximize his height advantage. Blake would love him. He not only wins his 50-50 situations, but he has strong hands to ensure he hangs onto it. He maybe can sharpen up his route running, but he has no issues beating press coverage
(except nfl.com is saying a good enough jam will stop him cold)
. He's also rather physical and with the ball in his hands will run like a power back despite a somewhat thin frame that may hinder his ability to block inside, although he's already good at blocking dbs downfield.


 

Hodge's NFL.com profile among others depict a receiver capable of catching the ball anywhere on the field with a 2nd gear allowing him to beat defenders to get open or to escape downfield with the ball in his hands. Bucky is deceptively fast with big play potential, but he has had issues with drops and will needs developing both with his in-line blocking and his route running.


 

His highlights are a must see... https://youtu.be/xANXGTJRQMQ


 

What stands out to me is the sheer number of deep passes he's catching. Say what you want about his route running, the guy just keeps making huge plays.


 

 

Next up I plan to dig into Butt.

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'02

Is there any chance Njoku falls into the Jaguars lap in round two? If so, I'll take a look at him. If not, then why bother
? There doesn't appear to be an opportunity to trade down in this draft, and they're not about to trade up for a TE in such a TE-rich draft.

There is definitely a chance.

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Coughlin when asked if winning will be a focus: "What the hell else is there? This is nice and dandy, but winning is what all this is about."

As impressive as Jake Butt appears being ranked #4 by Mayock and #7 by most everyone else, the Jaguars need TE help this year. Unfortunately Jake just had surgery a month ago for an ACL so I'm giving him a medical red flag and moving on.

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'02

As impressive as Jake Butt appears being ranked #4 by Mayock and #7 by most everyone else, the Jaguars need TE help this year. Unfortunately Jake just had surgery a month ago for an ACL so I'm giving him a medical red flag and moving on.

 

Aaron Colvin says hi.

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But what if he ends up being Marques Colston?


That's why the tall, speedy, athletic TEs are so intriguing. You can create so many mismatches.

He's be good in theory but he's really just an oversized wide receiver with bad hands. I don't think that's worth a 2nd or 3rd at all compared to whi else might be there.

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Next up I plan to dig into Butt.

 

 

pause

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Aaron Colvin says hi.

 

 

We had the luxury of being able to sit Colvin for a while, but we don't have that luxury at TE this year.

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'02

Jeremy Sprinkle in the 5th round would be a nice addition to Lewis/Koyack/Sterling IMO. 

 

 

Before I get to Sprinkle, it's worth nothing that Walters just added Shaheen to their TE rankings at #5. CBS also added him to their TE rankings at #4.


 

Now onto Sprinkle...


 

Sprinkle is definitely a guy I planned to look generally ranking at #10 or just outside the top 10 near Michael Roberts, although SI has him ranked #6. Round five sounds about right for him, although again in this class he could find himself slipping a round or even two.


 

Sprinkle projects to measure in at 6' 4 5/8", 256 lbs with a 40-time in the 4.7s.


 

The quick impression I get looking around is that he's one of the most polished blockers in this draft although he still has a bit of room to fill in his frame and arms to fully realize his potential. If he bulks up he might compare to Kyle Brady as one of the league's more proficient blockers while running more underneath and short to intermediate routes in an attempt to get open. He's a bit of a red zone threat, although he has a ways to develop as a route runner before he can take advantage of his speed and great hands to expose defenses deep.


 

Rob Rang makes an interesting comparison...


 

 

IN OUR VIEW: Teams looking for a traditional full-feature tight end will like Sprinkle, who appears just as satisfied with delivering a block in the running game as he is catching touchdowns. Though not a featured target in Arkansas' offense like his predecessors, Sprinkle collects the ball cleanly as a receiver and is surprisingly effective after the catch, running with both speed and power.

 

COMPARES TO: Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars: Sprinkle is not quite as big as the 6-6, 280 pound Lewis and the game has changed a bit in the 10 years since the Jaguars invested a first round pick in him. Each possess the size, speed and wingspan to carve out a long career in the NFL, though the majority of their touchdowns could come as a red zone specialist rather than as a dynamic threat down the seam.

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'02

pause

 

I'm glad you said (wrote) it.

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I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

Bucky Hodges never plays as an inline TE and is awful at blocking. He's a WR you would have to slowly convert to tight end.

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Bucky Hodges never plays as an inline TE and is awful at blocking. He's a WR you would have to slowly convert to tight end.

Earnest Wilford?

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Looking past a few highly ranked yet tiny TEs along with the injured Butt, there's one more highly ranked big TE that nobody has mentioned, and that's Jordan Leggett out of Clemson. Typically ranked from #5 to #7 among TEs this year, Leggett projects to be drafted in rounds 4 or 5.


 

Leggett is expected to run a 4.7 40 while measuring in right at 6' 5" and 260 lbs. He was a John Mackey award finalist in each of the past two years, and this past year won All-ACC First Team. With only two drops over the past two seasons, Jordan has phenomenal hands and all-around solid receiving skills including a near mastery of route running. Jordan also looks the part and should be able to develop into a good blocker with his size although he's somewhat raw as a blocker having not been asked to do much in-line blocking in college. Few question his skills as a receiver given his ability to extend his catching radius, to leap to the ground, to shield off defenders, or whatever else it takes to catch even a badly thrown ball, although some scouts question his motor especially when it comes to blocking.


 

Watching his highlights...


 

https://youtu.be/4qPhXSPXXSM


 

The best comparison I can think of is Julius Thomas. Leggett may just be the TE we need.

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'02

I'm a Bucky Hodges fan,very athletic but not a good blocker. Pretty much what Julius was supposed to be

What I like about Hodges is he has the frame to add 10-15 lbs and still maintain his athleticism.

 

Overall, this is one of the best and deepest TE classes I have seen.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

'02:

 

Please stop calling men that are 6'4" and 240+ "tiny."  

 

LOL

 

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

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Aaron Colvin says hi.

I do not understand the Aaron Colvin love on this board

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I do not understand the Aaron Colvin love on this board

 

I was referring to his knee injury in a Senior Bowl practice. A torn ACL did not prevent us from picking him in the fourth round, so why should Jake Butt be eliminated from contention because he had the same surgery?

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'02:

 

Please stop calling men that are 6'4" and 240+ "tiny."  

 

LOL

 

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

 

 

OK... I'll take a look-see now at the smaller guys. There are three in question ranked atop most rankings just behind OJ Howard. I'll list them with their expected weigh-in numbers...

• David Njoku - The biggest of the three projects to run a 4.5 40 and measures in right about the same as Neal Sterling at 6' 3 5/8", 240 lbs.
  
  
• Gerald Everett - Truly a tiny TE, Everett should run a sub-4.7 while measuring in at 6' 2 5/8" , 227 lbs.
  
  
• Even Engram - Might be able to run a 4.6 40 while measuring in at 6' 3 1/8", 236 lbs.
  
  

Njoku is expected to be a later 1st round pick but might make it to the Jaguars early 2nd round. Everett and Engram are both projected as 2nd or 3rd round pick, and there's no real consensus between these two as to which one should rank higher. By the time the Jaguars early 3rd round pick rolls around, it's conceivable that either Everett or Engram will still be there, but probably not both.


 

There's also a 5th round projection expected to run in the 4.7s....

• Jannu Smith - typically ranks about #9 and should measure in at 6 2 5/8", 245.
  
  

After these four the remaining draftable TEs have some size to them as any remaining smaller TEs probably go undrafted.

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'02

I like Adam Shaheen as a developmental guy who probably will be available in round 5 or 6, depending on his workouts. Jags can get by this year with Koyack, Sterling and Lewis and hope Shaheen develops enough to eventually become the weapon his size and athleticism indicate is possible.

If Butt's injury drop him to the 4th round like Colvin, he's the other guy I like.

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I like Adam Shaheen as a developmental guy who probably will be available in round 5 or 6, depending on his workouts. Jags can get by this year with Koyack, Sterling and Lewis and hope Shaheen develops enough to eventually become the weapon his size and athleticism indicate is possible.

 

If Butt's injury drops him to the 4th round like Colvin, he's the other guy I like.

 

What is the purpose of drafting a TE to develop if we need to win now? I want a TE who does not have to take his time learning from the bench.

 

I think Butt will go in the third round. Teams have enough tape to know what he can do when healthy.

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OK... I'll take a look-see now at the smaller guys. There are three in question ranked atop most rankings just behind OJ Howard. I'll list them with their expected weigh-in numbers...

• David Njoku - The biggest of the three projects to run a 4.5 40 and measures in right about the same as Neal Sterling at 6' 3 5/8", 240 lbs.
  
  
• Gerald Everett - Truly a tiny TE, Everett should run a sub-4.7 while measuring in at 6' 2 5/8" , 227 lbs.
  
  
• Even Engram - Might be able to run a 4.6 40 while measuring in at 6' 3 1/8", 236 lbs.
  
  

Njoku is expected to be a later 1st round pick but might make it to the Jaguars early 2nd round. Everett and Engram are both projected as 2nd or 3rd round pick, and there's no real consensus between these two as to which one should rank higher. By the time the Jaguars early 3rd round pick rolls around, it's conceivable that either Everett or Engram will still be there, but probably not both.


 

There's also a 5th round projection expected to run in the 4.7s....

• Jannu Smith - typically ranks about #9 and should measure in at 6 2 5/8", 245.
  
  

After these four the remaining draftable TEs have some size to them as any remaining smaller TEs probably go undrafted.

 

I was attempting humor more than critique, but yeah, those guys are definitely not the ideal size for the position.  Of course, like a lot of things in the NFL, the standards at TE are evolving with the modern version of the game. For teams with franchise QBs, these types of primarily receiving TEs can be very useful tools despite their lack of versatility and prototypical size.

 

One thing to note here is that our man Sterling has packed on some weight since being drafted two years ago and is listed at 257.  I don't think that's much of an exaggeration after watching him work the blocking sleds last summer. He looked a lot more like a TE than a big receiver out there to me this year.  Of course we don't really know if he'll realize his potential, but some of these similarly sized prospects can potentially bulk up like Sterling did and develop a blocking skill set. 

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I went back and watched some bits of the week 13 and 14 games to check out Koyack and Sterling:

 

They definitely used Koyack in Marcedes' role and Sterling in Thomas' role as you would expect. 

 

Koyack came out of school at 6'5" - 255 and ran a 4.76 at his pro day. We nabbed him in the 7th round (he was projected in the 5th or 6th by many). 

His blocking looked "adequate or better" to me in the 6 or 7 series I just examined.  He gets good body position, uses his hands well, keeps his head up and can disengage to leak out as a receiver well. On run plays he works hard to move his guy well out of position. He's still a bit green and could be stronger, but he's off to a good start IMO as a blocking end that can leak out for a catch over the middle or in the flats effectively. 

 

Sterling was not asked to block in the run game often, but did so effectively a couple of times in the series I just watched.  They did have him chip a 3-4 OLB a few times on his way to his receiving route, and he looked fine doing so IMO. Having run a 4.62 at his pro day a couple of years and 20 pounds ago, he still looks pretty fast for a TE out there. 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the new regime has cooking for the TE group and I really hope to see Sterling (or his potential upgrade) as a seam threat at times. I hope they also giving Bortles plenty of TE check-down possibilities to keep him from forcing the ball into coverage downfield too often. 

 

I personally don't anticipate the Jags going after a TE early in the draft given the focus on the trenches and the run game, so I'll be watching the 5th-7th round prospects as potential targets. 

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