The 2023 NFL Draft came and went without the Bucs drafting a running back. Given that they had just released Leonard Fournette and appeared thin at the position, it came as a bit of a surprise. But the team did sign a high-priority undrafted free agent in Syracuse’s Sean Tucker. And he’s a guy who could prove to be a real gem for Tampa Bay.
In fact, Bucs starting running back Rachaad White mentioned this week that Tucker has a nickname from some that likens him to a four-time Pro Bowler and four-time 1,000-yard rusher.
“Then you see Sean too – they’ve been calling him ‘Baby Nick Chubb’ now around here,” White said. “He don’t really like that, but it was just funny, joking with him. You can tell he’s ready to be out there.”
That’s quite the compliment for Tampa Bay’s undrafted free agent running back, especially considering he hasn’t been cleared to practice just yet due to a heart condition that was discovered during the pre-draft process. But it’s easy to see what the Bucs see in Sean Tucker, assuming he gets medical clearance and is able to take the field without issue some time soon.
Can Sean Tucker Be Bucs’ Version Of Nick Chubb?
Being mentioned in the same sentence as Nick Chubb isn’t something to be taken lightly, as the Browns running back is one of the best in the game today. Of course, it’s also fair to question the comparison given how established Chubb is and where Sean Tucker is in his NFL career.
But if and when Tucker gets cleared, can he provide the Bucs with some of what Chubb brings to the Browns?
Ignore the who they are and what they’ve done parts of the Nick Chubb/“Baby Nick Chubb” comparison, and you can see it.
The measurables are somewhat similar. Chubb is heavier, listed at 5-foot-11, 227 pounds, while Tucker comes in at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds. The two running backs have similar styles, and they’ve both delivers major production in wide-zone run schemes.
Chubb has mastered the wide-zone in Cleveland, and Tucker was a key cog in that type of system at Syracuse. Over the last two years of his college career, Tucker ran for 2,556 yards and 23 touchdowns.
And not so coincidentally, new Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales runs a scheme featuring wide-zone and mid-zone runs. Canales has likened Tucker to former Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls, an undrafted free agent find himself.
“Sean Tucker from Syracuse – fantastic runner – he reminds me of Thomas Rawls, who played great for us for a while,” Canales said. “But he has that physical run style that we loved that we’re going to love here – he’s going to bring a little punch and attitude to what we do.”
Another similarity to Chubb is the fact that Tucker is no stranger to being a bell cow running back. That’s certainly what the Browns running back is, having totaled 192, 298, 190, 228 and 302 carries in each year of his career, respectively. At Syracuse, Tucker ran 137 times in 2020, 246 times in 2021 and 206 times in 2022.
That type of production, his running style and his physical profile typically would’ve seen Tucker drafted fairly early, but the medical concerns are what landed him in the undrafted free agent category. Health remains a big question mark, especially with something as serious as a heart condition.
But if Sean Tucker can safely get on the field and start to carve out a role for himself in the Bucs’ backfield, Tampa Bay may just have an undrafted free agent gem on its hands.
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