Raiders NFL Draft: A Tight End Option In Every Round

Round 4 – Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech

Bucky Hodges is 6’6″ and 257 pounds, and he posted 40-yard dash (4.57), vertical (39″) and broad jump (134″) scores above the 90th percentile. Simply put, he’s an elite athlete.

Hodges has the tools to be a legit player in the NFL, and he put together a consistent body of work at Virginia Tech — three consecutive seasons of 40+ catches, 500+ yards and 6+ TDs.

Hodges has a big-time catch radius, and his elite athleticism helps him in many areas needed to have success at the position. He has the ability to separate to get open and to make plays after the catch. And his size allows him to body smaller and bigger players on defense alike.

However, his route-runner needs some work. For as good of an athlete as he is, his routes are rounded, as opposed to sharp. This doesn’t give him the consistent separation he’ll need to produce at the next level.

Also, he needs to work on being more of a natural hands-catcher. Too often, he’ll attempt to haul a pass in with his body, and that won’t fly in the NFL. Lastly, he’s an awful blocker. If he can’t at least be sufficient here, he’ll lose out on playing time.