But perhaps no one tight end did more to boost his stock this week than Bucky Hodges of Virginia Tech.
Hodges, who was a consistent producer in three years for the Hokies, had a tremendous all-around workout, measuring in at 6 feet, 6 inches and 257 pounds, running the 40 in 4.57 seconds, and posting position-best numbers in the vertical (39 inches) and broad jumps (11 feet, 2 inches).
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Still, Hodges carries his experience playing quarterback through as he continues to develop as a receiver. Hodges says he knows what his quarterback is thinking: “I know what he wants, how he wants certain routes.” He also uses skills in diagnosing defenses to help him get open, noting that “I read a lot of coverages in high school so reading coverages were very easy for me in college.”
He’s certainly more polished as a receiver than an in-line blocker. In fact, he said he ended up playing almost exclusively a receiver role in his final college season when the Hokies installed a new offense. “I can run any route, I’m comfortable with the entire route tree,” Hodges said.
Still, NFL teams will likely expect him to play in-line eventually, even if he starts out as a large receiving option in the slot. While the effort level will not be a question mark for Hodges — “I’m not scared to put my helmet in anybody’s face,” he says — an NFL team will need to teach him the finer points of blocking. “Blocking from a three-point stance (is) something I haven’t really worked on since my freshman year of college,” Hodges pointed out. “I’m still raw fundamental-wise and technique-wise, but I know I’m capable of it with my work ethic and I’m very confident I will be a good blocker.”
