As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at Sean Tucker.
Check out all of our 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles 
2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Sean Tucker (RB – Syracuse)
5’10” – 205 lbs.
Background:
Earned the starting role in 2020 four games into his freshman season, finishing the year with 137-626-4 (4.8) and adding eight catches. Has been the team’s workhorse ever since, with his best season being his 246-1,496-12 (6.1) sophomore campaign (20-255-2 receiving); followed that up with 206-1,060-11 (5.1) rushing and 36-254-2 through the air this past year.
Positives:
Has been a highly productive starter over the past two-and-a-half years. Built low to the ground, with a thick build and good weight distribution. Solid athlete who’s fast enough to outrun defenders to the edge, and has good burst/acceleration to hit the hole. Patient player who lets things develop and makes good decisions. Works well through congestion. Makes pretty sharp cuts when stretching the defense laterally. Nice vision and footwork to recognize and hit cutback lanes. Elusive runner in the hole to make defenders miss one-on-one. Low pad level and strong leg drive allow him to push the pile and grind out additional yardage after contact; nice toughness and competitiveness to finish. Runs through arm tackles at the second level. Ball security is a plus, with just three career fumbles on over six hundred total touches. Would often motion out of the backfield or line up as more of a receiver this past season; the team wanted to get him opportunities in the screen game, some of which he capitalized on for big plays. Has generally been an alert pass-protector.
Negatives:
Has a little bit more tread on his tires than some of his peers in the class, and efficiency dipped a bit this past season. Probably going to be a chunk gainer rather than a home-run threat at the next level; more of a reliable grinder than someone who rips off a ton of big gains. Fights hard for additional yards but didn’t gain quite as many yards after contact as anticipated. Alignments were interesting in the passing game and usage was relatively high, but functioned as more of a safety valve overall. Hands have been relatively unreliable; dropped ten passes, with just 63 career catches. Doesn’t show much physicality or lateral quickness in pass protection.
Summary:
Not the flashiest or most gifted back in the class, but is one of the most pro-ready, showing impressive patience, vision, footwork, and competitiveness as a runner, protecting the football, and doing a pretty good job in blitz pickup, something that appears to be in short supply these days. Showed he can carry the load the past two seasons and looks like a solid bet to be among the first handful of backs off the board as a polished, safe selection.
Projection: Round 3-4
Other 2023 NFL Draft Running Back Prospects
- Devon Achane (RB – Texas A&M)
- Tank Bigsby (RB – Auburn)
- Chase Brown (RB – Illinois)
- Zach Charbonnet (RB – UCLA)
- Zach Evans (RB – Mississippi)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – Alabama)
- Roschon Johnson (RB – Texas)
- Kenny McIntosh (RB – Georgia)
- Kendre Miller (RB – TCU)
- Bijan Robinson (RB – Texas)
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