Sean Tucker 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Syracuse RB

Sean Tucker: 5’10”, 210 pounds.

Just inside the top-1,000 overall recruits in 2020, after some good production in his first year with the Orange, Sean Tucker turned himself into a first-team All-ACC and second-team All-American player as a full-time starter. He recorded 1,751 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns on 266 touches, averaging 6.6 yards per.

Tucker also broke the team’s single-season rushing record along the way (1,496), which is highly impressive considering the RB bloodlines for that school. In 2022, he averaged one yard less per carry (5.1) on a similar workload, but did still reach the end-zone 13 times and more than doubled his career receptions with 36.

Sean Tucker scout report: Strengths

+ Brings some serious track background, where he focused more and more on short-distance and you see that explosiveness on his tape. Yet, he maintains great balance and doesn’t get too far over his skis.

+ Displays natural tempo in a zone run scheme, where he can stick his foot in the ground and shoot through lanes. He also understands how to press creases on more vertical concepts and stay square in order to force linebackers to the wrong side of blocks.

+ Quick to transfer information from his head to his feet as he spots defensive penetration and dips underneath quickly.

+ Does well to plant his base with parallel feet, open up the hips and allow himself to bounce outside. There’s a lot of turning of his body and manipulating defenders with his body-language, as he’s trying to take the optimal running path.

+ However, what I really appreciate about Sean Tucker is how efficient a runner he is before he gets to the second level, where he obviously has the speed to rip off big plays. You don’t see him dance behind the line or stop his feet much.

+ You saw him take advantage of his quarterback turning himself into a blocker after carrying out fakes on zone-read plays. He was able to get around the corner on the backside fairly regularly by stopping, pivoting and hitting the burst again.

+ Tucker’s ability to build up momentum and bounce off defenders is on display regularly.

+ He uses his off-arm well to swipe down the reach of would-be-tacklers and allows himself to get around the corner by straight-arming at the facemask of edge defenders.

+ Has outstanding balance to stay on his feet. Even when they are barely on the ground anymore, as he’s being pulled down, Tucker keeps churning them.

+ You regularly see him blow through arm tackles as if they’re turnstiles and plenty of tacklers bounce off his large quads.

+ Will contort his body a little bit and use curvilinear movement to get through that second level, with defenders trying to converge on him.

+ Was more involved as a receiver in 2022 and while it was largely swing and flat routes, just allowing him to catch the ball on the move and being able to use his speed is a recipe for success. He didn’t seem to fight the catch point at all.

+ He doesn’t seem to fight the ball, even though he may allow it to get further into his body, and he doesn’t waste any time getting upfield.

+ Just ran by a couple of linebackers on wheel routes this past season.

+ Isn’t going to wow you with dramatic moves in the open field necessarily, but what he’s really good at (and you see this at times when he bounces runs out to the edge as well) is pointing the toe fully, as he’s widening and working around defenders after catching the ball underneath. This helps him beat them to the sidelines with his speed.

+ Syracuse also got him involved in the screen game to some degree. If you give him a crease with blockers out in front, it becomes very dangerous for the opposition.

Sean Tucker scout report: Weaknesses

– Playing behind a lesser offensive line in 2022, Sean Tucker showed some impatience and lack of a plan to set up his rushing lanes. This, while trying to do too much by himself at times.

– As fast as he may be, Tucker should try to get downhill at times and take that one-on-one with the safety, rather than trying to outrace linebackers engaged with a blocker and running towards their leverage. As an open-field runner, he also largely relies on his speed, rather than showing the ability to make people miss and set up a series of moves.

– Considering how much he’s been on the field for the Orange, Tucker’s 28 receptions combined between 2020 and ’21 is pretty underwhelming. They didn’t ask him to go vertical other than a couple of times last year, or run any type of option routes for them.

– Dropped five of 42 catchable targets this past season.

– At this point, Tucker isn’t much of an asset as a pass-protector, not showing much of an awareness to scan the pressure and beat rushers to the spot.

Sean Tucker scout report: Grade

Sean Tucker was one of my favorite rushers heading into 2022. The balance he runs with and the hip mobility he possesses, combined with the explosion he packs and the power he can build up, are top-tier.

Unfortunately, some of that mature running style disintegrated due to a lack of trust in the O-line. If he can be coached up to return to his former decision-making process on running lanes that will close quicker at the NFL level, I think he can be a very productive player.

He does have the size to help you in protection, although he’s far from it conceptually at this point, but I’m encouraged by seeing him contribute more as a receiver in 2022.

Grade: Third round

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