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Off the radar

Tanner Hudson turning heads in Tampa

I’m not sure I’m at the point where I can actually draft him, but Tanner Hudson has caught my eye in the preseason. Every week they roll him out there, and he’s catching a bunch of balls.

He took over in the second half of his last game, and it’s just a continuation of what he’s been doing all along. He’s caught 17 passes for 226 yards and 2 TDs in three games. Those are the best numbers of any tight end in the league. He came up with a one-handed touchdown catch in traffic against the Steelers that was really impressive.

Not bad for a player who was undrafted coming out of Southern Arkansas.

Hudson needs to hit the weight room. He’s only 239 pounds. But it’s apparent he has a feel for the game. As well as he’s played, he’s made Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster. If the Bucs were to try to sneak him onto their practice squad, some other team would grab him.

Very unlikely that Hudson plays much at all this season. The Bucs are already set at tight end with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate (one of the best one-two punches in the league at the position). But Hudson looks like a player who one day will have a viable role.

It’s unusual for undrafted tight ends to ever become notable NFL starters. Since 2000, only 12 such players have gone on to post top-20 numbers in a season. Antonio Gates and Marcus Pollard (both converted basketball players) headline that group, doing it a bunch of times.

But some undrafted tight ends do go on to have notable careers, and the Bucs know that as well as anyone. They’ve found two of those guys in recent years – Brate and Tim Wright.

If I were in a dynasty league, with each team carrying three tight ends, I would consider Hudson as my third guy. It won’t surprise me at all if he’s catching a healthy number of balls next year.

BEST UNDRAFTED TIGHT ENDS (since 2000)
YearPlayerNoYardsTDPPRRk
2005Antonio Gates, S.D.891,10110259.11
2004Antonio Gates, S.D.8196413255.42
2009Antonio Gates, S.D.791,1578242.73
2007Antonio Gates, S.D.759849227.43
2014Antonio Gates, S.D.6982112223.13
2006Antonio Gates, S.D.719249217.41
2013Antonio Gates, S.D.778724188.29
2010Antonio Gates, S.D.5078210188.23
2011Antonio Gates, S.D.647787183.87
2008Antonio Gates, S.D.607048178.44
2017Jack Doyle, Ind.806904173.06
2016• Cameron Brate, T.B.576608171.07
2001Marcus Pollard, Ind.477398168.92
2004Jermaine Wiggins, Min.717054165.56
2014Larry Donnell, NYG636236161.312
2000Chad Lewis, Phil.697353160.55
2016Antonio Gates, S.D.535487149.812
2018Trey Burton, Chi.545696149.18
2015Antonio Gates, S.D.566305149.012
2016Jack Doyle, Ind.595845147.413
2012Antonio Gates, S.D.495387144.813
2017• Cameron Brate, T.B.485916143.110
2013• Tim Wright, T.B.545715141.313
2005Jermaine Wiggins, Min.695681131.811
2002Marcus Pollard, Ind.434786128.87
2011Jake Ballard, NYG386044122.420
2001Chad Lewis, Phil.414226119.210
2000Dwayne Carswell, Den.494953116.58
2005Marcus Pollard, Det.465163115.615
2003Boo Williams, N.O.414365114.68
2003Marcus Pollard, Ind.405413112.110
2002Chad Lewis, Phil.423983103.812
2004Marcus Pollard, Ind.29309695.916
2018• Cameron Brate, T.B.30289694.919
2000Marcus Pollard, Ind.30439393.912
2006Jermaine Wiggins, Min.46386190.617
2001Dwayne Carswell, Den.34299489.916

—Ian Allan

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