Fast 40+ Rams roster rookie roundup: Tyler Hudson (#38)

One of the narratives that has persisted about this LA Rams roster since the start of the 2023 NFL season has been the claim that the Rams offense is a bare cupboard of offensive weapons. I'm nowhere close to agreeing with that sentiment, but I do know that one area the Rams cannot be accused of skimping on is adding new receivers each year.

Some come, some go, but there is always a fresh supply of young enthusiasts to the Rams receiver room, as the team has been successful in finding and adding promising young players to the Rams roster. Last season, the team added Austin Trammell and Lance McCutcheon. Who will be the surprise addition to the LA Rams this season?

A quick summary

Clearly the LA Rams front office loved what the Louisville Cardinals offense did in 2022, as the Rams added two weapons to the roster from that team: RB Tiyon Evans and WR Tyler Hudson. Curiously, neither player was drafted, and both actually have a chance to contribute to the Rams offense this season, or down the road.

Hudson played three seasons for Central Arkansas before transferring and playing his final year of eligibility for the Louisville Cardinals. Hudson was incredibly productive, putting up 236 catches for 4096 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns over his NCAA football career. He was already released and then re-signed hours later.

What I don't like about this addition

Tyler Hudson is a project. While he has shown the propensity to produce on the football field, he is a bit raw in his technique. Does the LA Rams coaching staff have the bandwidth to onboard 40+ rookies simultaneously, while still offering the individual tips and coaching necessary to truly develop the raw potential of Hudson for an NFL career? I'm not so sure. The team drafted Jacob Harris, a truly athletic player who had raw potential, but never tapped that talent effectively.

What I like about this addition

It's not often that any NFL team can land a rookie prospect with as much potential as WR Tyler Hudson in Round 6 or Round 7, let alone after the draft ends. While it appears that NFL scouts and draft analysts have not been in Hudson's corner, I won't lie, the more I've been learning about this young man, the more I like about him.

He has so many highlights, he simply looks the part of an NFL wide receiver.

Sometimes the bar is raised unknowingly on those players who are that good that they seem to turn the extraordinary into the ordinary. Hudson may be a victim of that subjective creep, the unintentional elevation of expectations because he plays that well. Something like the opposite effect of grading on the curve.

What I love about this pick

Tyler Hudson stands 6-foot-2, weighs 193 pounds, and his NFL Draft Buzz list of strengths would lead you to believe that he was projected as a strong Day 2 rookie prospect. So how did this guy fall out of the draft completely?

Sometimes that is just the way events transpire, and the old adage 'never look a gift horse in the mouth,' is the best way to go. The Rams certainly added a player who could even make the roster this season if he develops quickly enough. Will he develop quickly? If he does, he will be a great addition to the LA Rams' offensive arsenal.

Projection: Likely ends up on practice squad, but keep him on your radar.