The Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Virginia Tech tight end Bucky Hodges a few days ago and a lot of you are probably a little bit curious as to the kind of player he is. Hodges, who posted an excellent pSPARQ score (138.8) at the 2017 NFL Combine, was mostly used as a wide receiver during his final season at Virginia Tech and that led to him registering 48 receptions for 691 yards and 7 touchdowns.
I have tracked down all but one of Hodges targets from his 2016 season and contextualized them for you below. This contextualization includes play data such as down, distance, the direction and distance the pass was thrown, in addition to a brief description of what happened. Each contextualized target is linked to the video of the play for you to watch.
Hodges’ average completed air yardage distance in 2016 was 11.64 yards. His average intended air yardage distance was 14.14 yards, however. He caught 60.8% of all passes thrown his direction in 2016 and averaged 3.19 yards after the catch. He caught 13 of the 28 (46.4%) deep passes thrown his way in 2016.
Hodges, as you will notice in this contextualization, wasn’t asked to run a lot of different routes at Virginia Tech and especially as a wide receiver in 2016. While he does have a nice catch radius, he’s not much of a leaper and at times has some questionable hands. You will see a few nice contested and 50/50 catches in his 2016 receptions, however.
| OPP | QRT | TIME | DWN | DIST | LOS | RES | YDS | DIST | DIR | YAC | CONTEXTULIZATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 2 | 0:24 | 3 | 7 | LIB 18 | C TD | 18 | 22 | DWR | 0 | Deep fade TD |
| LIB | 3 | 10:10 | 3 | 6 | LIB 20 | C TD | 20 | 24 | DWL | 0 | Deep wheel left side TD |
| LIB | 4 | 15:00 | 1 | 10 | VT 13 | C | 4 | -2 | SIR | 6 | WR screen right side |
| TEN | 1 | 10:32 | 1 | 10 | TENN 39 | I | 0 | 19 | DIR | 0 | Crosser off target |
| TEN | 1 | 7:21 | 1 | 10 | TENN 32 | C | -5 | -5 | SIR | 0 | WR screen right side |
| TEN | 1 | 0:54 | 2 | 10 | VT 20 | C | 11 | 6 | SWR | 5 | Speed out right side |
| TEN | 2 | 9:42 | 1 | 10 | VT 13 | C | 7 | 6 | SIR | 1 | Short curl right side |
| TEN | 4 | 12:53 | 1 | 10 | VT 31 | I | 0 | 19 | DWL | 0 | Thrown away OOB left side |
| BC | 1 | 4:30 | 1 | 10 | VT 45 | C | 17 | -2 | SIL | 19 | WR screen left side |
| BC | 1 | 3:02 | 2 | 2 | BC 30 | C | 5 | 2 | SWR | 3 | Speed out right side |
| BC | 1 | 1:56 | 2 | 19 | BC 34 | C | 17 | 15 | SM | 2 | Short MOF post |
| BC | 1 | 1:43 | 3 | 2 | BC 17 | C | 9 | 7 | SIR | 2 | Short curl right side |
| EC | 2 | 12:37 | 2 | 6 | VT 47 | C | 12 | -2 | SM | 14 | WR screen MOF |
| EC | 3 | 9:00 | 1 | 10 | VT 21 | C | 35 | 31 | DWR | 4 | Deep right sideline |
| NC | 1 | 14:28 | 2 | 10 | VT 25 | I | 0 | 15 | SWR | 0 | Caught right sideline OOB |
| NC | 1 | 9:38 | 3 | 7 | UNC 17 | I | 0 | 16 | DWL | 0 | Dropped back shoulder fade left side |
| NC | 2 | 1:54 | 2 | 8 | UNC 29 | C | 28 | 28 | DWR | 0 | Deep right sideline |
| SYR | 1 | 1:48 | 1 | 10 | VT 33 | C | 20 | 13 | SM | 7 | Worked to MOF |
| SYR | 2 | 9:56 | 3 | 9 | VT 2 | C | 16 | 15 | SIR | 1 | Deep curl right side |
| SYR | 4 | 14:48 | 2 | 8 | VT 48 | C | 27 | 27 | DM | 0 | Deep seam MOF |
| SYR | 4 | 13:59 | 1 | 10 | SYR 10 | I | 0 | 13 | SWR | 0 | EZ fade right side |
| SYR | 4 | 13:53 | 2 | 10 | SYR 10 | C TD | 10 | -1 | SIL | 11 | WR screen left side TD |
| SYR | 4 | 4:25 | 2 | 4 | VT 28 | C | 6 | 0 | SIL | 6 | WR screen left side |
| MIA | 1 | 6:30 | 1 | 10 | VT 5 | C | 7 | 7 | SM | 0 | Quick slant MOF |
| MIA | 2 | 6:30 | 1 | 10 | VT 17 | C | 9 | 9 | SIR | 0 | Quick slant from right |
| MIA | 2 | 5:51 | 1 | 7 | MIAMI 7 | C TD | 7 | 12 | SM | 0 | MOF EZ TD |
| MIA | 2 | 2:50 | 1 | 10 | MIAMI 40 | I | 0 | 34 | DWR | 0 | Double move deep right |
| MIA | 3 | 14:54 | 1 | 10 | VT 25 | I | 0 | 17 | DM | 0 | Post MOF low throw |
| MIA | 3 | 13:20 | 2 | 21 | VT 26 | C | 2 | 0 | SIR | 2 | Quick WR screen to right |
| MIA | 3 | 10:45 | 1 | 10 | MIAMI 35 | C | 18 | 16 | DIL | 2 | Contested post catch MOF |
| MIA | 3 | 10:01 | 2 | 5 | MIAMI 12 | C TD | 12 | 8 | SM | 4 | Quick slant MOF TD |
| MIA | 3 | 5:29 | 3 | 9 | MID 50 | C | 11 | 11 | SIR | 0 | Comeback right side |
| MIA | 4 | 13:51 | 2 | 7 | VT 36 | I | 0 | 7 | SWR | 0 | Short curl right side off target drop |
| MIA | 4 | 9:39 | 1 | 10 | MIAMI 34 | I | 0 | 40 | DIR | 0 | Deep post to EZ overthrown |
| PIT | 1 | 5:47 | 2 | 11 | PITT 31 | I | 0 | 34 | DIR | 0 | Deep go to EZ too far |
| PIT | 2 | 10:09 | 1 | 10 | VT 21 | C | 36 | 34 | DWR | 2 | Deep 50/50 right side |
| PIT | 2 | 3:19 | 1 | 10 | VT 42 | C | 18 | 15 | SIR | 3 | MOF seam route |
| PIT | 3 | 8:50 | 1 | 10 | PITT 30 | I | 0 | 21 | DWL | 0 | Deep left side OOB |
| PIT | 3 | 8:42 | 2 | 10 | PITT 30 | C | 23 | 20 | DWL | 3 | Deep 50/50 left side |
| PIT | 3 | 3:23 | 2 | 10 | PITT 21 | I | 0 | 27 | DWR | 0 | Deep EZ go route dropped |
| PIT | 3 | 1:35 | 1 | 10 | VT 32 | C | 20 | 19 | DWL | 1 | Deep back shoulder left side |
| PIT | 4 | 13:09 | 2 | 10 | VT 25 | C | 31 | 29 | DIR | 2 | Deep go right side |
| PIT | 4 | 11:35 | 1 | 10 | PITT 30 | C | 17 | 11 | SWL | 6 | Out route to left side off target |
| PIT | 4 | 11:02 | 1 | 10 | PITT 13 | I | 0 | 13 | SWR | 0 | Back shoulder fade to right EZ |
| PIT | 4 | 5:01 | 1 | 10 | PITT 39 | I | 0 | 17 | DWL | 0 | Off target left side |
| DU | 1 | 8:30 | 1 | 10 | DUKE 36 | C | 20 | 17 | DM | 3 | Great off target seam catch MOF |
| DU | 3 | 3:53 | 1 | 10 | VT 23 | I | 0 | 6 | SM | 0 | Slot slant from right |
| DU | 3 | 0:01 | 1 | 15 | DUKE 19 | C | 4 | -2 | SM | 6 | WR screen right side MOF |
| GT | 1 | 10:38 | 1 | 10 | VT 25 | C | 3 | -1 | SIL | 4 | WR screen to left side |
| GT | 2 | 14:54 | 2 | 3 | GT 41 | I | 0 | 42 | DWR | 0 | Deep go EZ right side PBU |
| GT | 3 | 14:16 | 2 | 8 | GT 24 | C | 8 | 5 | SIL | 3 | Short curl left side |
| GT | 4 | 5:43 | 1 | 10 | GT 33 | I | 0 | 10 | SWR | 0 | Comeback right side off target |
| ND | 2 | 13:44 | 2 | 6 | ND 35 | C | 8 | 5 | SIR | 3 | Short curl right side |
| ND | 4 | 9:13 | 2 | 7 | ND 7 | C TD | 7 | 9 | SWL | 0 | Back shoulder EZ fade to left TD |
| ND | 4 | 8:30 | 2 | 5 | ND 5 | I | 0 | 7 | SWR | 0 | EZ fade to right miscommunication |
| UV | 1 | 15:00 | 1 | 10 | VT 25 | C | 10 | 7 | SM | 3 | Quick short curl MOF |
| UV | 1 | 15:00 | 2 | 1 | VT 44 | C | 8 | 7 | SWL | 1 | Out route left side |
| UV | 1 | 7:06 | 2 | 5 | UVA 47 | I | 0 | 36 | DWL | 0 | Deep left sideline too long |
| 1 | 3:29 | 2 | 7 | UVA 18 | I | 0 | 7 | SWL | 0 | Out route to left side off target | |
| UV | 2 | 10:47 | 2 | 2 | UVA 39 | I | 0 | 30 | DWR | 0 | Go right side dropped TD |
| UV | 2 | 9:01 | 1 | 10 | VT 31 | C | 9 | 8 | SIR | 1 | Comeback right side |
| UV | 2 | 4:37 | 1 | 10 | UVA 46 | I | 0 | 49 | DIR | 0 | Deep post right side tad long |
| UV | 3 | 13:22 | 1 | 10 | UVA 42 | C TD | 42 | 44 | DWR | 0 | Stutter go right side TD |
| CLE | 2 | 4:30 | 1 | 6 | CLEM 6 | I | 0 | 10 | SWL | 0 | Slot fade left side |
| CLE | 3 | 14:25 | 2 | 16 | VT 19 | I | 0 | 0 | SM | 0 | WR screen thrown too low |
| CLE | 3 | 13:33 | 2 | 10 | CLEM 38 | I | 0 | 6 | SWR | 0 | Short curl right side thrown low |
| CLE | 3 | 3:26 | 3 | 9 | VT 26 | C | 42 | 42 | DWR | 0 | 50/50 pass deep right side |
| ARK | 1 | 12:50 | 1 | 10 | VT 16 | C | 10 | 8 | SIL | 2 | Quick slant from left thrown high |
| ARK | 1 | 11:17 | 2 | 8 | ARK 32 | I | 0 | 3 | SWR | 0 | Short curl right side off target |
| ARK | 2 | 8:43 | 3 | 9 | ARK 42 | I | 0 | 9 | SM | 0 | Quick slant from right contested |
| ARK | 2 | 5:03 | 1 | 10 | VT 8 | C | 15 | -2 | SM | 17 | Quick WR screen right side |
| ARK | 2 | 4:27 | 1 | 10 | ARK 44 | I | 0 | 39 | DWR | 0 | Deep right sideline feet tangled |
| ARK | 2 | 0:22 | 2 | 6 | VT 40 | I | 0 | 10 | SIL | 0 | Comeback left side contested |
| ARK | 3 | 10:41 | 1 | 10 | VT 29 | C | 5 | 5 | SWL | 0 | Short curl left side |
| ARK | 3 | 0:00 | 1 | 10 | VT 24 | C | 15 | 14 | SIR | 1 | Slant from right side |
| ARK | 4 | 14:32 | 1 | 10 | VT 49 | I | 0 | 5 | SWL | 0 | Short curl left side thrown wide |
| ARK | 4 | 13:24 | 1 | 10 | ARK 39 | I | 0 | 9 | SIL | 0 | Slant from left side through hands |
| ARK | 4 | 3:49 | 3 | 6 | VT 32 | C | 6 | 6 | SIL | 0 | Slant behind rub from left |
