A future first-round pick lined up across from him, but Tre Tucker wasn’t intimidated at all.
Cincinnati led 10-0 over Notre Dame in a 2021 FBS matchup, and the Bearcats wanted more points as they faced first and 10 on Notre Dame’s 27-yard line. They turned to Tucker, one of their most dynamic wide receivers.
In a trips formation to the right, Tucker was the wideout closest to the ball. Fighting Irish safety Kyle Hamilton, who would go on to become a Baltimore Raven, was in charge of defending him.
Tucker sprinted upfield at the snap, then he cut outside to gain separation. Hamilton lost a step to the speedy receiver and had to chase him to catch up.
Hamilton lost sight of the ball when it was thrown, but Tucker adjusted to the pass. Hamilton dove in hopes of deflecting it.
The end result: Tucker jogged into the end zone with Hamilton laying on the ground.
Even against the best defenders, Tucker can get open.
What Team Drafted Tre Tucker?
Tucker was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the third round with the 100th overall pick.
Tre Tucker Stats And Highlights
Tucker was highly productive as a wide receiver and returner in college.
As a wideout, he caught 52 passes for 672 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. He finished his career with 1,433 yards and eight touchdowns on 112 catches over the span of four years.
Tucker was also a second-team All-AAC returner in 2020. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown that season and the following one.
He’s third in program record books with 1,670 kickoff return yards and fifth with a kickoff return average of 24.93 yards. He also returned punts and played on other special teams units.
At the NFL Combine, Tucker’s athleticism score was sixth among wide receivers. His 40-yard dash time of 4.4 seconds was tied for sixth at the position and his 10-yard split time of 1.48 seconds was second. He recorded a vertical jump of 37.5 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 4 inches.
Tre Tucker Draft Profile
Tucker, at 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, might have a slightly limited potential because of his frame. He lined up in the slot on 91% of his snaps in college, and that’s probably where he’ll spend most of his time in the NFL. But he can still spark an offense in myriad ways.
Tucker ran plenty of different routes including comebacks, shallow drags, and seam routes. In college, he could turn any reception into a touchdown. He also does a good job of finding open spots in zone coverage, especially deep.
He’s also reliable. According to Pro Football Focus, Tucker caught 113 of 162 targets in his career for a catch rate of 70% with just 10 drops.
Targets his way ended up equating to a 111 NFL passer rating. Tucker adjusts well when the ball is in the air, and he’s not afraid to be physical against defensive backs.
Whether it’s on a deep route or jet sweep, Tucker is simply tough to tackle in the open field. He averaged 6.3 yards after catch per reception, and that number was 7.1 for his career.
Considering what he can do with the ball in his hands, Tucker could certainly be a good addition to an NFL roster.
