Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospectus-by-prospectus series dedicated to the upcoming NFL draft class. Scouting continues with Cincinnati’s offensive assault on James Hudson, a prospect that lives up to the demands of a Denver Broncos. But would it fit?
Measurable
- height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 315 pounds
advantages
- His posture and behavior are the first attributes that pop out
- Pretend he’s going to beat you up for 60 minutes
- Moves very well when going forward and attacking outside, but this is also the cheapest time to beat him
- The term “dancing bear” is appropriate here because he has such light feet that he can advance early in his pass sets
- A former D-lineman and it shows with his understanding of pass rushing attacks and the setups
- Good enough length for the tackle position
- The teams could keep him out, even though he is relatively “short”.
- Much power
- If he hits precisely, it will knock his defender and bring him to a standstill
- Knows how to deal with power by dropping your anchor and using good technique to absorb it and directing it back towards your opponent
disadvantage
- His movement skills are good, but he tends to put his shoulders in front of his feet
- Can be easily blown past for opponents as its center of gravity is very far away
- He’s still pretty raw on many aspects of the tackle, including using proper hand technique and consistent drive to improve his positioning
- When you’re this raw in the position, it’s easy to teach him to play the left or right side, but teams should focus on one side first to develop technique
- His demeanor and ferocity on the field can sometimes get him into trouble that needs to be kept in check by NFL coaches
overview
Hudson is an extremely raw offensive tackle who is new to the position but has many of the qualities NFL teams want to see. With his strength and movement abilities, he can really be a versatile device, once he has properly understood the technology.
It may take him a year or two to bench press everything, but if he does he could be great. If you can find a development prospect with as much upside potential as Hudson’s, check out a selection for Day 2.
Suitable for broncos
The best way to describe Hudson’s potential Denver fit would be “ideal”. Obviously, having him work under Mike Munchak to develop would be for the best.
Hudson has the versatility of the system to survive through possible future coaching changes. The only concern would be if Munchak falls victim to a future coaching change and is thrown off it could affect Hudson’s development as it is best if the device is consistent from his elementary school teacher for the first few years.
class: Round 3
Where he is going: Round 3
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