Sean Tucker (Buccaneers) NFL Draft Preview
Post-Draft Fantasy Impact
Sean Tucker ended up going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, but it really wasn’t anything he did to cause that. Tucker was surprisingly held out of the Combine after not being medically cleared. No one really knew what was going on, but some news reports came out that he was diagnosed with a congenial heart defect.
Now how that took this long to find I don’t know, but it obviously scared NFL front offices enough to not use a draft pick on him.
Tucker was a beast at Syracuse, who often used him in zone-blocking schemes. And apparently, that’s exactly what new OC Dave Canales is installing in Tampa Bay. So I guess they saw it as a low-risk opportunity, should Tucker get medically cleared to play.
Rachaad White is in line to take over the backfield with Leonard Fournette’s departure, and he will be backed up by Chase Edmonds. Then you still have Ke’Shawn Vaughn on the roster, so Tucker probably won’t be utilized much to start.
Long story short, I really hope Tucker makes the team and gets a paycheck, but he probably won’t ever see any meaningful time, at least not for fantasy purposes.
Should he somehow be able to manage the heart issue and play like “normal”, he probably would at least form a part of a committee with White and Edmonds. Still, I’d stay away for now.
Sean Tucker NFL Draft Preview
Sean Tucker saw plenty of action in his three years at Syracuse, rushing 589 times for 3182 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Tucker started his career with 626 yards on 137 attempts, and from there he expanded on his Running Back role. He rushed for over 1000 yards in his final two seasons for Syracuse and had a career-high 1496 yards as a sophomore. He also gained experience in pass-catching, going from only eight catches as a freshman to 36 as a junior.
He finished his college career with 64 catches for 622 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a decent 5.4 yards per carry over that time.
Tucker was an All-American and First Team All-ACC in 2021.
Tucker, figuring we don’t know much about the medical issue (see below), probably will be a fourth-round pick or later.
Measurables
- 5’9″
- 207 lbs
Sean Tucker did not participate in the NFL combine due to a “Medical Concern”. He also did not participate in Syracuse’s Pro Day for the same reason. No information has come out on what the medical concern is.
Sean Tucker demonstrates his excellent vision and when he puts his foot in the ground there’s not many RBs in the NFL who can match his explosion/burst. pic.twitter.com/tgkCEwwosb
— sfDynastyFF (Rob) (@Quintorris_) December 20, 2022
POSITIVES
Tucker may be a bit short, but he makes up for it with power. He runs low to the ground and often behind his pads, making him hard to take down. He runs through arm tackles with relative ease and tends to fall forwards when he is tackled. He has good patience and allows holes to open up. He then uses his good burst and cut moves to ensure the play goes for positive yards.
Tucker has soft hands and has good experience in pass-catching.
NEGATIVES
Tucker’s biggest negative is that he lacks the speed other backs have. He won’t outrun many at the NFL level, meaning he doesn’t have as much big play potential as his peers.
Going along with that, his lack of pure speed makes him less successful when he bounces runs outside. Tucker sometimes waits too long for holes to develop and that hesitation leads to tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
His pass-blocking abilities are lacking and if he doesn’t improve, he may not be utilized as the main back. Tucker had over 500 carries at Syracuse, which is quite a bit more than the players we’ve already discussed.
GRADE – C-
Tucker is a bit of a mystery after missing the NFL combine. He has the college stats to be considered a solid NFL pick, but his lack of speed for a shorter player makes him a potential backup instead of a workhorse back.
Tucker has good strength that will allow him to break tackles, and decent enough jump cuts to make defenders miss.
That said, Tucker probably is best suited in a committee and may not be a great fantasy asset to start his career. It seems like most scouts don’t believe he has a three-down workload ability.
Happily married father of two boys. I love all sports, although prefer watching them since I’m a wildly mediocre athlete. And that’s why I write fantasy football articles! I’ve been writing for Fantasyfootballcalculator for over six years now. Besides that, I enjoy watching Badger football and basketball even though it raises my blood pressure. In my downtime, I enjoy traveling with my family, playing video games with friends, and golfing.
