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As the Tennessee Titans try and sort out who will be the starter at tight end in 2021 between Anthony Firkser and Geoff Swaim, there are a slew of young, inexperienced players vying for what figures to be two spots behind them.
One of those tight ends is Tommy Hudson, an undrafted free agent signing of the Titans in 2020 who spent all of last season on the practice squad but didn’t see any action.
Hudson’s first season did come with a hiccup, though, as the Arizona State product was suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances
However, the fact that the Titans stuck with him despite that says that they at least see something in him, and that’s a big reason why we’ve projected Hudson to make the cut as one of the team’s backup tight ends.
After practice on Thursday, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel praised the second-year player, noting that he has improved a lot and is standing out because of his work on special teams.
Vrabel said TE Tommy Hudson improved a lot over the course of last season on practice squad and has earned some opportunities on special teams and on offense.
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) July 29, 2021
#Titans' Vrabel: Asked about TE Tommy Hudson (strong blocker), he says Hudson is doing some things — especially on special teams — that are helping his cause.
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) July 29, 2021
When it comes to their backup tight ends, Tennessee will likely be looking for players who can excel as blockers and on special teams, two boxes Hudson appears to check.
So, while he didn’t show much as a receiver during his days in college (25 receptions for 205 yards in 20 games), we don’t think that’ll necessarily be the difference between his making the roster or not.
Another thing Hudson has over the rest of the Titans’ options — Jared Pinkney, Briley Moore, and Miller Forristall — is that he already has experience with the team’s offense.
In our last 53-man roster projection, we have Hudson and Pinkney making the cut, with Moore or Forristall ending up on the practice squad.
We’d suggest keeping an eye on Moore, though, as his Relative Athletic Score was one of the highest among all tight ends in the 2021 draft class.
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