There are hundreds of stories being told during the planning and anticipation of the 2017 NFL Draft. Today we will be looking at a scouting report for red shirt junior tight end Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech Hokies.
TE-Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech 6’7” 245 lbs.
This athletic marvel is a converted dual threat quarterback who only has three years of playing the big receiver/tight end role. Throughout his college career, he stayed very consistent with 40+ receptions,over 500+ yards receiving and 6-7 touchdowns in each season. As I’m a high school football coach and educator by trade, let’s break down what I saw in the five games I reviewed of the junior play 
maker: 2016 contests versus Arkansas, Tennessee, Boston College, and Pittsburgh along with a 2015 game against North Carolina. Most of these game videos are available via draftbreakdown.com. These are my thoughts:
Cons: Hodges is not a pure tight end. In the few snaps that I saw him lined up as a tight end, he looked awkward and did not maintain his block for more than a second or two. The play maker doesn’t block any better when lined up elsewhere either. He won’t make his mark as an inline blocker. His routes got rounded off most of the time and he got knocked around by smaller defensive backs who he should have dominated with his height and weight advantage. He should dominate on 50/50 balls and lost more than he won in the games I reviewed. Concentration issues occurred too much when he would drop easy throws and then on the next play make an amazing reception. Although Hodges caught a lot of pigskins away from his body, he would revert to trapping the ball with his helmet, shoulder pads, or sometimes even stomach.
Pros: The former Hokie lined up on the outside, in the slot, as a wingback, or in the backfield. Defenses never knew where he would appear on the field and he got sent in motion quite often. He gets off the line of scrimmage with his quick feet and powerful upper body. There were a few times he got used on fly sweeps or option pitches on the outside. As a receiver, he could catch the ball at its highest point or lay out to make a difficult grab in the middle of the field. Hodges uses a few double moves and will contort his body to make the difficult receptions in stride while shielding the defensive back from the ball. His loose hips and quick, bouncy feet allow him to change directions quickly for a man his size. When the play maker boxes out his coverage, he becomes quite the red zone threat. He can also smash you with a devastating stiff-arm that will knock you on your keister.
Overall impressions: Hodges is a raw prospect despite playing three years with the Hokies. He is an athletic playmaker that is the epitome of inconsistency. I like him if you can stash him on your taxi squad in a year flush with tight end talent. The former Hokie is currently sitting as my sixth best rookie tight end this season.
Thanks for reading. I will continue to discuss my scouting reports with you throughout the next several months, so keep checking the site for more content. Please check out my other content as well. You can also follow me on Twitter @AndrewMiley.
