The Cleveland Browns are about to enter into their Week 2 matchup against the New York Jets on the heels of a Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers and former quarterback Baker Mayfield. Before we completely turn the page over, right tackle James Hudson deserves some praise for his performance.
With Jack Conklin still recovering from a year with a multiplicity of injuries that nearly caused him to retire, the second-year right tackle out of Cincinnati has been thrust right back into action off of a lackluster rookie season. However, it seems as though Hudson took his job personally this summer as he looked like a transformed player this past Sunday.
While he may not start with Conklin potentially gearing up to go this week against the Jets, let’s take a look at Hudson’s strong season opener.
Looking at the Data
Sep 11, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle James Hudson III (66) tries to block Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns (53) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
As far as PFF grades are concerned, they are a good place to start but not the end-all-be-all. When looking at the grading for Hudson, however, there is no doubt they are high on the second year tackle out of Cincinnati.
They credited Hudson with just one penalty (where he got over-aggressive and blocked his man downfield on a pass play on the last drive of the game), and gave him high marks as both a run and a pass blocker. On the day, he was given a pass blocking grade of 73.3 and a run blocking grade of an astounding 80.9. This tallied out for an overall offensive grade of 76 for the former fourth round pick.
PFF charted him with just one pressure allowed on 19 true pass sets against the Panthers, and frequently against Burns. Not a bad way to start the season after tallying a pass blocking grade of just 57.9 a year ago. According to Football Outsiders, the Browns finished with the fourth-highest DVOA on the ground, and Hudson was a big part of that success.
Analytics are just a piece of the puzzle, but tape is a bigger piece, so that is where we will turn our attention to next.
Explosiveness and Functional Athleticism Visible on Tape
While Hudson did not test off the charts at the NFL Scouting Combine when he was coming out of Cincinnati, his functional explosiveness and athleticism show up on the…
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