James
Hudson.
James
Hudson.
Cincinnati· 6'4"· 313 lb· 5.27s 40
"A 6'4"/313 Michigan-to-Cincinnati convert with two seasons at left tackle, heavy hands and long arms but a 5.27 forty and clunky mirror — a Round-4 developmental swing-tackle projection."Pre-draft read
Plays left tackle, but projects as a swing candidate given a background on the defensive line. Possesses plus length and a combative disposition, frequently working through the whistle in the run game to finish blocks. When he latches on, his grip strength makes it difficult for defenders to disengage.
Hand placement can be inconsistent; the initial punch is heavy but timing often drifts, leading his hands to land wide. Against counters, he tends to grab rather than resetting his hands, which can result in holding penalties. Pass sets vary in depth and pace, with his kick slide functional against straight speed but vulnerable to inside counters when his eyes drop. He anchors bull rushes with a wide base, but his pad level can rise, causing him to lose leverage.
The ideal system for Hudson emphasizes a run-heavy scheme with gap/duo concepts, rather than wide-zone principles, leveraging his physical run-blocking temperament.
Initially a Year 1 rotational swing tackle, with the ceiling to develop into a starting right or left tackle in a power-run heavy scheme with significant coaching on technique.
A pass-heavy Air Raid or spread RPO scheme that demands quick-set, consistent footwork and mirror ability in space from its offensive tackles.
Hudson's physical tools and aggressive demeanor are assets, but his raw technique and athletic limitations make him a high-upside developmental project best suited for a specific run-blocking system.
Film Session — NFL Prospect Cincinnati LT James Hudson
Standalone college scouting breakdown of Hudson's 2020 tape at left tackle for Cincinnati — pass-set mechanics and hand placement.
Cincinnati LT James Hudson 2020 Highlights
Full 2020 season highlight package protecting Desmond Ridder's blindside for the 9-1 Bearcats.
James Hudson — first NFL player since 2000 with 4 penalties on the same drive
The infamous 2024 Giants-Bengals sequence that crystallized the pre-draft hand-technique flag at the NFL level.
Hudson projects as a developmental swing tackle with a high ceiling rooted in his physical traits and aggressive play style. While lacking extensive offensive line experience, his length, temperament, and background as a defensive lineman offer a foundation for coaching to build upon, making him a long-term investment for a team with established starters.
He transitioned from defensive tackle at Michigan to offensive line, starting 12 games at left tackle for Cincinnati across the 2019 and 2020 seasons. This limited sample size meant evaluators had to project significant technical refinement. Despite being 6'4" and 313 pounds with 34-inch arms, his 5.27-second 40-yard dash and inconsistent film highlighted the need for fundamental improvements.
Consensus evaluations placed him firmly on Day 3, with general projections ranging from the fourth to fifth round. Despite the raw film and the clear technical challenges, his physical tools and aggressive demeanor led Cleveland to select him with pick #110, aiming to develop him as a versatile depth piece behind their existing tackles.
- 01
Plus Length
Possesses plus length with 34-inch arms and a wingspan that provides a reach advantage in pass sets.
- 02
Mean Temperament
Demonstrates a genuinely mean play temperament, actively working through the whistle in the run game.
- 03
Strong Grip
Exhibits strong grip strength, once he latches on inside the frame, defenders struggle to disengage.
- 04
Position Flexibility
Offers position flexibility with experience at defensive line and left tackle, projecting as a swing tackle.
- 05
Solid Anchor
Shows a solid anchor against bull rushes, utilizing a wide base and long arms to stalemate power.
- 01
Limited Experience
Limited starting experience on the offensive line with only 12 career starts, requiring significant projection.
- 02
Inconsistent Hands
Hand technique is inconsistent; punch timing is often late, hands land wide, and he grabs rather than re-fits.
- 03
Pass Set Issues
Pass-set inconsistency is evident, with varying kick-slide depth and pace which exposes him to counter moves.
- 04
Poor Athleticism
Athletic testing numbers suggest below-average change-of-direction and recovery swiftness.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 5.27sp50
- Vertical
- 28.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 98inp50
- Three-cone
- 8.05sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.79sp50
- Bench
- 22repp50
| Yr | Team | G |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Michigan | 3 |
| 2020 | Cincinnati | 10 |
| Career | — | 13 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Journeyman swing-tackle profile — long, physical, capable of spot starts but never fully solving the technical issues that keep him from a stable starting job.
Optimistic ceiling as a long, powerful swing tackle whose length and finish overcome technique inconsistency in a run-first offense — the outcome if the hand technique ever caught up.
Trait bet who stuck as a low-end starter and rotational piece — the outcome if penalty issues and mirror problems capped him as replacement-level at tackle.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Solid depth hit. Swing OT backup Years 1-3, forced into 12 starts in 2023 (below-average but serviceable). Traded to Kansas City in 2024, cut in 2025. Journeyman swing OL with occasional starter reps — solid Round-4 value.
Pre-draft context. Hudson arrived at Michigan as a defensive line recruit before flipping to offensive tackle late in his sophomore year, then transferred to Cincinnati and had to sit out most of 2019 before starting the final three games at left tackle. He returned as the starter in 2020, protecting Desmond Ridder's blindside for a 9-1 Bearcats team that pushed Georgia in the Peach Bowl. Twelve career OL starts, no pre-2019 tape, 6'4"/313 with 34" arms and a 22-rep bench — a length-and-mean-streak developmental projection. Testing at his pro day did not help: 5.27 forty, 4.79 shuttle, 8.05 three-cone, 2.78 RAS.
NFL fit — Cleveland Browns. The Browns had Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin locked in at tackle, so #110 was explicitly a trait bet on a swing developmental piece with two-position flexibility rooted in his old defensive-line background. The organization framed it publicly as buying time — a redshirt year behind two established starters with excellent position instruction was the entire theory.
Retrospective. Hudson never converted the tools into stable NFL play. He was pressed into starts in 2022 when Wills missed time and the results were rough — penalty-prone, beaten cleanly on speed-to-power — and Cleveland eventually traded him to the New York Giants in August 2024 for a late pick swap. In New York he authored one of the more infamous individual sequences of the 2024 season, drawing four penalties on the same drive against Cincinnati and becoming the first player since at least 2000 to do so. He has bounced between the active roster and swing-tackle depth since, which is exactly what the pre-draft flags projected: length and demeanor without the technical floor to hold up as a starter.