Bucky Hodges Scouting Report From Matt Waldman

[Saca312]

So, I love Matt Waldman. In case you didn't know, he's a well respected draft analyst that I often cited during draft season. His work is extensive and great.

I went across the Vikings reddit, and I happen to see one of them post an excerpt on Bucky Hodges from Matt Waldman. If you haven't already, make sure you stay tuned during next draft season and get one of Matt Waldman's RSPs. Very good stuff on rookies & such for the price of a few beers. https://mattwaldmanrsp.com/

So, have a read:

https://www.reddit.com/r/minnesotavikings/comments/68vp2y/bucky_hodges_rookie_scouting_report/

Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech (6-6, 257) Unless Alabama limited O.J. Howard so much that we discover he’s the next Ozzie Newsome, Bucky Hodges is the best receiving tight end in this class, and I don’t know if it’s even close. Think about the targets Jimmy Graham earned with Drew Brees: back-shoulder fades against tight coverage, slants with defenders draped over his back, and leaping seam routes between a linebacker and safety clamping down on him. Hodges has experienced and converted most of these scenarios at Virginia Tech.

Hodges is one of the few tight ends I’ve seen in recent years who can win targets arriving overhead that require a full layout after a long sprint. I’m not talking about the lean, extend, and fall type of layout, but the full-sprint dive where most receivers lose the ball when they hit the ground.

Not that this class is filled with receivers who only earn kiddie-table targets, but Hodges is the only tight end in this group who earned a routine amount of big-boy, NFL targets—and a wide variety of them, too.

It’s possible that a team turns Hodges into a wide receiver, but at his dimensions, I think the Jimmy Graham comparison and usage is more likely. In addition to his skill catching the ball, he has impressive 4.57- speed, 4.45 burst, and a 39-inch vertical leap. As mentioned in the Njoku profile, Hodges’s 11-2 broad jump is the best mark for a tight end since the RSP has been covering skill prospects.

Virginia Tech routinely used Hodges on quick-hitting routes against tight coverage. He has good chop and rip moves that he uses well to win on slants. He’s fluid at turning to the ball and away from the defender, and he’s fast enough to get a half-step on a cornerback playing tight coverage when aligned as a receiver detached from the line of scrimmage.

On deeper routes, Hodges will often use a hook and swim move to earn separation, which often earns him position to high-point or shield the defender on back-shoulder targets. Extending for the ball in tight coverage is one of his strengths. The one target where he experiences drops more often than others is the underhand technique.

Although he’s fast for his size, Hodges’s success rate on intermediate and deep routes would increase if he learned to stack defenders that are faster than him. He can often out-muscle or maneuver past them early in the route. If he stacks early, he can dictate the route and force more interference penalties or easier targets.
He’ll routinely get his pads over his knees when facing off-man coverage or zone and his chop and arm-over moves are effective at the top of his stems. He can sink his hips into breaks and execute quick turns, getting his head around fast to locate the ball. He has to learn to work into his hard breaks with one step. Most of all, Hodges must improve his route depth. With his speed, burst, and size, greater route depth will unlock a lot of easy opportunities for him as an underneath receiver against zone and off-man coverage.

Hodges transitions fast from receiver to ballcarrier. He can stop-start (broad jump) to avoid a defender in the open field and he will sidestep and ward off defenders with his stiff-arm. His acceleration is strong enough to earn yards in the open field. Although not regarded as a good blocker, and many label him a receiver, I think he’s a tight end who can play wide receiver and not a wide receiver in disguise. Hodges delivers punches with intensity at the line of scrimmage or in the open field. He’s quick to the punch and if he’s punched first, he recovers fast enough to earn a square position on his opponent.

These skills make Hodges an effective shield blocker who can sustain his effort. He has upside to develop into a good inline blocker because he already has plays in his portfolio where he demonstrates a quick, hard punch with a roll of the hips to generate power.

This doesn’t happen enough because he overextends and loses leverage before the engagement begins.

In the open field, Hodges converts from receiver to blocker fast and he’ll establish his hands with good position while maintaining his position with good footwork. He can get impatient and fail to close the gap on a defender before delivering his hands and he’ll overextend or tip off his efforts. He’ll also tip-off blocks as a backside protector because he drops his head into contact.

[Saca312]

Breakdown video of Hodges:

 

[Pantha-kun]

Will he ever even see the active roster ? I could see Greg playing at least 3 more years and the coaching staff loves themselves some Dickson 

[Saca312]

16 minutes ago, Pantha-kun said:

Will he ever even see the active roster ? I could see Greg playing at least 3 more years and the coaching staff loves themselves some Dickson 

Maybe not this year. Very very raw blocker. Will need a few years to tune that out. That's probably the reason this will be a redshirt season for him. But if he sticks around until next year, expect him to push for TE3 almost immediately and eventually supplant Dickson/future Olsen heir if he becomes a half decent blocker.

Receiving skills is very good. If anything, his future is a Jimmy Graham type of TE. Very comparable to that guy.

[vorbis]

Pete Hoener is going to eat this guy for lunch. after that, we'll see if Hodges wants to be a pro. I'll be interested to see if the Panthers are committed to letting him develop on the PS for the season, or cut him loose if he shows uneven progress or dedication to the work he needs to put in on what Rivera calls the "show team".

[Saca312]

Made a twitter thread on him as well if you wanna see.

 

[Zithers]

You'd think someone comparable to Jimmy Graham wouldn't have been a 6th rounder that failed to make a 53...

Sounds like another Brandon Williams.

[t96]

It's fine to hope for a guy to do well but he couldn't even make it to the PS of the team that drafted him. Odds are he never even sees our 53, let alone actually contributes. 

[The Huddler]

Hey saca?

 

hiw many hokie games did you watch last year?

 

crazy how a hokie fan and the team who drafted him didnt want him, because hes a sure fire stud according to you. 

 

People are so highlight tape oriented, its retarded. 

[Jeremy Igo]

4 hours ago, thomas96 said:

It's fine to hope for a guy to do well but he couldn't even make it to the PS of the team that drafted him. Odds are he never even sees our 53, let alone actually contributes. 

Agree

If a drafted player can't make the PS.... it doesn't look good. 

[Hogmolliesmaht]

Yeah, how can we compare a guy who just got cut to Jimmy Graham? If he was anywhere close to being that good, then why didn't the Vikings want him?

[Saca312]

I guess I'll have to put this in so you guys can figure out my opinion of his outlook:

 

[tiger7_88]

All Saca/Nathan does is provide content for people to think about here on this forum.  And he works harder at it then most.

But because he's basically an optimist in general on the subjects about which he writes, all a number of you can do is not only poo on the content, but do your best to poo on him too.  

I don't get it.

If you disagree, why don't you work as hard as Saca/Nathan does to respectfully disagree with him and show him in detail how he is wrong/incorrect?

smdh

[ShutDwn]

2 hours ago, tiger7_88 said:

All Saca/Nathan does is provide content for people to think about here on this forum.  And he works harder at it then most.

But because he's basically an optimist in general on the subjects about which he writes, all a number of you can do is not only poo on the content, but do your best to poo on him too.  

I don't get it.

If you disagree, why don't you work as hard as Saca/Nathan does to respectfully disagree with him and show him in detail how he is wrong/incorrect?

smdh

It's really good work but is it worth it to write 1000 words on him? Optimism is great, blind optimism isn't.

Garrett was supposed to be the next UDFA stud and people were blowing him up all preseason based on highlight tapes. He just got cut and the hype moves on to the player that hasn't failed to live up to the unrealistic expectations. 

There really aren't that many skill position players that turn into something after a few years. Usually you can tell pretty quickly if a guy has the innate sense and grabs your attention by actually making plays, not just how physically impressive they are. Norman was a rare case of a stud developing slowly because he lacked discipline and cost himself a lot of years but IRC, he had multiple picks in his first practice.

Churning the bottom of the roster is key, but if you look at the late round steals in the NFL, a lot of them proved their worth quickly. Teams just aren't going to wait on low investment players.