Bear Goggles On
Fansided

What round will James Hudson get drafted?

By Parker Hurley

MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 30: Defensive End Janarius Robinson #96 from Florida State of the American Team is defended by Tackle James Hudson III #55 from Cincinnati from the National Team during the 2021 Resse's Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama on January 30, 2021 in Mobile, Alabama. The National Team defeated the American Team 27-24. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 30: Defensive End Janarius Robinson #96 from Florida State of the American Team is defended by Tackle James Hudson III #55 from Cincinnati from the National Team during the 2021 Resse's Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama on January 30, 2021 in Mobile, Alabama. The National Team defeated the American Team 27-24. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

James Hudson started his college football career as a prized defensive tackle prospect at Michigan. Hudson switched to offensive tackle with the Wolverines but wound up transferring to Cincinatti before the end of his college career.

He wound up only starting one year for the Bearcats, manning left tackle for their 2020 season. Hudson had a great season which may spark the interest of the Chicago Bears, who need help at tackle. With the lack of experience at tackle, where will he fall to in the 2021 NFL draft?

Strengths to James Hudson game that will translate to the NFL

An athletic highly recruited prospect shows in the way that James Hudson moves. He is an excellent athlete who zips off of the football. This shows most when pulling into the second level, but also across the line of scrimmage to seal off the back end of blocks. His quick feet show when defensive lineman try to rush with an inside counter. He does a great job of planting his weight and changing directions.

Check out the play linked here. He effectively blocks both players as they stunt. He may have stuck onto his initial man for too long, but has the recovery foot speed to force his man to extend outside.

James Hudson
The play below is against Zaven Collns, a first round pick in this coming draft. Watch the speed as. he goes step for step, refusing to give the outside edge. /

Hudson also plays like a former defensive tackle and has a mean streak, and will to finish plays. The play below highlights his combination of athleticism and tenacity in the run game.

He is able to drive his man back and seal an edge. Watch his emotion after he finishes as well. This is late in the fourth quarter, and the Bearcats are looking to put the game away. Hudson knows that he about to close this game out by bullying his man and wants some more.

For how inexperienced he is, the upside shows of a player who can move in space, use his hands, and excel in an outside-zone running scheme.

Weaknesses to James Hudson game that may cause a fall in the 2021 NFL draft

The obvious comes with a lack of experience, not only as a starter but on offense in general. Hudson gets the job done, and athleticism carries him, but he is raw and it shows. His pass sets are not consistent from snap-to-snap. Sometimes you see the upside of a star left tackle, and others you wonder if he knows how to play tackle.

Hudson can lunge and is jumpy on his feet, which causes him to be hit or miss in his sets. He also can move like a deer in open space, but often can miss his target, or only get in the way. With Hudson, you may be admitting that while his upside is sky high, he would best serve as a rotational backup in his rookie season, as he maneuvers the technical aspects of the game.

NFL comparison for James Hudson

He obviously will not go as high, but Hudson brings a similar game and projection to Eric Fisher of the Kansas City Chiefs. Fisher was a former first overall pick, who did not live up to that hype, but is a quality starter in the NFL.

Fisher was drafted so high due to his athleticism and saw of the rare plays that he could make in space. When you see Hudson run as a blocker, you see something similar to what drew evaluators to Fisher.

However, Fisher was still raw, and while his game was cleaned up, he always lost to true technicians. If Fisher were drafted where Hudson will be, he would be looked at as a hit of a pick. Hudson is not nearly as complete of a player, but at his draft slot, an expectation of Fisher would be reasonable.

Does James Hudson fit the Chicago Bears?

From an athletic standpoint, you can make a case that Hudson can be in the realm of Charles Leno. His footspeed and quickness in space are what attracted the Bears to him, and it is why Leno has started for Chicago for years.

Still, the big difference, and where Hudson may provide an upgrade is from a physicality standpoint. Hudson is rawer but plays with a meaner streak than Leno. The Bears are likely to move on from Bobby Massie, but keep Charles Leno for one more year.

Hudson could spend a year as a backup who could jump in if Leno gets hurt, but would be served well in his backup role. In 2022, Hudson could emerge as a starter.

dark. Next. Liam Eichenberg draft profile

The question comes down to round projection, then. Hudson has been looked at as a top 50 pick by some, and that would mean the Bears hoping he falls to round two. The price of offensive tackles goes up, but Hudson would be best served drafted in the third round. For how raw he is, and how limited he is expected to be in year one, round two may be rich.

Still, he is an NFL player with above-average upside, and should not fall outside of round three.

Home/Chicago Bears Draft