Ndame Tucker

[powderblueboy]

Someone said he would post Ndame Tucker preseason highlights in the Ndame Tucker thread .... but there isn't one.
Nice video isolating on Ndame.

VIDEO]

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[sonorajim]

Looking forward to Ndame vs SF. He sounds like he intends to make a point in his post Houston interview.

[Fouts2herbert]

Someone said he would post Ndame Tucker preseason highlights in the Ndame Tucker thread .... but there isn't one.
Nice video isolating on Ndame.

VIDEO]

[/video]

Also in that video Kennard made some nice plays too...Kyle has longer arms and he's learning how to use them...Tucker looks like a he's going to be solid, unfortunately if they keep Dupree one or both of these young guys will be gone...

[sonorajim]

I'm not in a mood to disrespect our coaches and their player choices just yet. I expect that they expect and intend playoff success. I'll support them.
We're doing this together.

[Factotum]

powderblueboy

That someone was yours truly and since there was no dedicated thread, I had posted it in the Mesidor thread. Thank you for creating Nadame Tucker's dedicated thread and then linking the SMI podcast video 👍

BTW, I believe that his first name is Nadame, not Ndame.

[powderblueboy]

powderblueboy

That someone was yours truly and since there was no dedicated thread, I had posted it in the Mesidor thread. Thank you for creating Nadame Tucker's dedicated thread and then linking the SMI podcast video 👍

BTW, I believe that his first name is Nadame, not Ndame.

One has to earn an 'A' Factotum, it is not simply given away for nothing.

[CanadianBoltFan]

I think Tucker is going to force his way into the 53 man roster...ahead of Kennard.

[powderblueboy]

I tend to agree .... I would be surprised if they waive him, because they know he'll not make it to their practice squad.
Three of those highlights were against Houston starting OT Aireontae Ersery (2) and year two 2nd rounder Blake Fisher (1).

Strong hands, good enough athleticism ..... It would not surprise me at all if he becomes the 3rd edge and an 8 -10 sack guy.

[powderblueboy]

A summary of him that might be helpful:
Scouting Report: Summary

The tape from Western Michigan is genuinely exciting. When Tucker gets a runway to the edge and his first step fires clean, he can embarrass offensive tackles. His hand timing, bend, and ability to convert speed to power through the arc of his rush are real traits, not MAC-inflated noise. That Week 1 demolition of Michigan State's offensive line, featuring three sacks against a first-team All-Big Ten tackle (Michigan State had no All-Big Ten OT in 2025, but Conner Moore was a former All-Big Sky OT), was a statement that this wasn't just a small-school mirage. The Senior Bowl only reinforced it. The pass rush ability is legitimate, and in a league that is always starving for guys who can collapse the pocket, that alone keeps you on a roster.

The concerns are equally real, though, and they need to be weighed honestly. Tucker will be 26 before he takes a professional snap. He has one year of meaningful film. His frame is light for the position, and until he develops the anchor strength and block-shedding technique to hold up on early downs, he is going to be a pass-rush-only weapon. The run defense is not NFL-caliber at this point. He gets buried at the point of attack, loses his gap, and his tackling technique needs significant work. The missed tackles will get punished harder and faster at the next level, and coordinators will scheme away from him on obvious passing downs once they see the film.

Tucker's path to a roster is as a designated pass rusher in a scheme that can protect him from run responsibilities early on. He fits best on a 4-3 front where he can pin his ears back from a wide alignment and just go get the quarterback on third down. The upside is tantalizing because of how late he came to football and how quickly his pass rush instincts developed once he got real reps. But this is a bet on projection and development, not a finished product. A team drafting Tucker needs to be patient, willing to add weight to his frame without killing his speed, and committed to coaching up the run defense and counter moves that are currently missing from his toolbox. If the rush translates, he could become a steal. If it doesn't, the thin resume and age make this a risky swing.

[powderblueboy]

Houston Cougar 2023 defensive line

Hakeem Ajijolaiya	JR	DL
Justin Beadles	SO	DL
Justin Benton	FR	DL
Jamaree Caldwell	SR	DL
Nelson Ceaser	JR	DL
Torren Coppage-E	SO	DL
Anthony Holmes Jr.	FR	DL
Amipeleasi Langi Jr.	JR	DL
Garfield Lawrence	SO	DL
Brandon Mack	JR	DL
Chidozie Nwankwo	JR	DL
Taleeq Robbins	SO	DL
Zykeius Strong	JR	DL
Nadame Tucker	SR	DL
Cavan Tuley	SO	DL
Player	Class	Pos	Summary
David Ugwoegbu	SR	DL
Sedrick Williams	SR	DL
Ivan Autenreith	FR	DL
Josh Diaz	FR	DL

.
With Caldwell at edge, it was a program where the only two NFL defensive line prospects didn't fit. Who was the DC there?
Both Caldwell and Tucker took very strange paths to the NFL.

[Steve]

I think Tucker is going to force his way into the 53 man roster...ahead of Kennard.

When I watched Kennard, he has improved over last year minimal playing time. He is starting to use his hands. He is doing a better job of trying to take on blocks. But on each of those plays if you watch what Tucker is doing, and Kennard is doing (opposite side) you can clearly see Tucker is ahead of Kennard in terms of his play. Kennard is still trying to run around blocks, and when he can't he gets wired to the block. Tucker is doing that too, but he is ahead in terms of being quicker to get off and it not happening as often.

Again, we have 2 more PS games to go, but just based on the Texans game, Tucker is much closer to what they are looking for than Kennard.

Another inflection point (or criticality) is coming up next season, if you consider that Mack may retire ... will we be able to sign Tuli ... Even is Mesidor plays great, there is a universe in which we may want to keep both Tucker and Kennard.

The other question is Dupree. Last year everyone was down on Dupree because he wasn't getting sacks. Fair point. However, he also didn't surrender as many broken plays. Plays where he got stuck on blocks or took himself out of a play for losing contain. In his 1st season with the Chargers, you can credit a good deal of Denver's failed comeback in the 1st game to Dupree just losing contain on his rush, and letting Nix run right by him. Coaches want to see guys make plays, and for Dupree that is about sacks, but never at the expense of losing contain and allowing ball carrier to get in the open field.

Dupree may not make the roster this season, but it is as much about the plays he (or Kennard or Tucker) don't allow as it is about plays they make. However, I agree with CanadianBoltFan in that Tucker is clearly in the lead among the backups. However, a bit like the OL, I thought there was good and bad from Tucker, Kennard, Carter and Randolph.

[Factotum]

Nadame Tucker does not have the prototypical NFL edge measurable rookie stats, i.e he's older with less college football experience, height, arms length and hand size but what he does have is the motor, strength, technique and just seeming the savvy for the opposing player; some may even throw in "heart" in the mix.

I really would like for our 2025 4th rounder Kennard #54 to pan out because he has the measurable stats but he was way behind the aforementioned immeasurable factors, at least in his rookie year. I'd be quite p*ssed if coach "favorites" like Scott Matlock and Bud Dupree make the 53 over the younger and hungrier players unless they truly get beaten based on merits and fit.