NFL Draft Profile: Tre Tucker, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bearcats
Tre Tucker
Cincinnati Bearcats
#1
Pos: WR
Ht: 5087
Wt: 182
Hand: 0858
Arm: 2878
Wing: 7000
40: 4.40
DOB: 3/8/2001
Hometown: Akron, OH
High School: CVCA
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Tucker is an undersized slot receiver with exceptional acceleration and speed who should at least earn a prominent role on special teams as a rookie.
Evaluation:
Tucker adjusts to the ball well and makes diving catches. The senior shows a good understanding of holes in zone, often sitting in open space or varying his route speed to keep a passing lane open for as long as possible. He’s a true burner with legitimate track speed. The former three-star recruit’s acceleration and speed make him a big play threat. Tucker quickly erases the defensive back’s cushion in off-coverage and stacks defenders. His quick foot speed helps him fly into and out of cuts. Tucker’s vision and speed make him a serious threat to generate significant yards after the catch (YAC). His subtle cuts and changes of direction at high speed leave defenders grasping at air. Unlike many smaller receivers, Tucker possesses decent contact balance that lets him run through some arm tackles. His acceleration, foot speed, and varied tempo help him set up defenders for cuts in the open field. The Akron product is a willing and competitive blocker, but he struggles to occupy and control defenders consistently. Tucker is a tough slot receiver who takes big hits over the middle of the field and pops right back up for more. He’s a special teams ace with experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units. The former All-American Athletic Conference return man has more than a dozen career special teams tackles and is a legitimate kick return threat. Former Cincinnati Bearcats head coach sang Tucker’s praises in the past, calling him a leader and tough player. Tucker appeared on Bruce Feldman’s 2022 college football Freaks List for The Athletic. According to Feldman, Tucker runs a 4.29 40-yard dash. He also jumps 10'10" in the broad and 36.5" in the vertical. Despite his small frame, Tucker squats 600 lbs. and posts 16 reps of 225 lbs. (NFL Combine weight) on the bench. Tucker’s personal bests in high school track events show his high-end speed and explosiveness. The Ohio native runs a 10.41 100-meter dash, 21.32 200-meter dash, and jumps 23'7" in the long jump. While Tucker is an elite athlete, he’s limited to the slot by his small frame. There’s not much room left for the high school track star to add more muscle. Tucker struggles in contested catches, and his short arms limit his catch radius. Cornerbacks find success when crowding him at the catch point. He has decent contact balance but isn’t going to break many tackles with power. Tucker is an elusive ball carrier, but he’s more of a linear athlete than a dynamic or twitchy YAC threat. The senior receiver doesn’t consistently string together multiple jukes or cuts. He benefited from some schemed touches and free releases at Cincinnati that he might not see at the next level. There are concerns about his ability to play through contact early in his routes. Drops are occasionally an issue for Tucker. There aren’t many examples of players as small as Tucker succeeding at a high level in the NFL, which limits his draft ceiling. However, the Cincinnati product possesses unique strength in his frame and should be able to contribute consistently on offense.
Grade:
5th Round
Background:
Prior to declaring for the NFL draft, Tre Tucker produced at both the high school and collegiate levels. Tucker was a three-star, dual-sport athlete in football and track and field, where he dominated his competition. At Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Tucker ended his high school career with almost 4500 total yards, the school record for touchdowns and receiving yards, and aided in achieving the Division II Championship. Furthermore, Tucker was a three-time State Champion in the long jump, 100-meter dash, and 4x200-meter relay. Showing his versatility, Turner contributed on offense in receiving and rushing, special teams in punts and kick returns and defense for the Cincinnati Bearcats. As a receiver, Tucker ended his collegiate career with 111 receptions, 1426 yards, and 8 touchdowns. As a rusher, he totaled 138 yards on 15 attempts. On special teams, Tucker had 1713 yards on 72 attempts and 2 touchdowns. On defense, he had 14 career tackles. Tucker was named to the PFF College All-AAC Third Team (2021) and the All-AAC Second Team (2020), was a two-time Academic All-District team and was invited to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
