Khaleke

Hudson

Hudson entered the league as a fifth-round pick for the Commanders in 2020. He was a high-volume special teams player in Washington for four years and made eight starts at linebacker in 2023. Hudson didn’t make the Saints final roster after signing with them this offseason but landed on the team’s practice squad and was called up for Week 1. He will now be a permanent fixture of the Browns’ 53-man roster.

Hudson was finishing up a UDFA contract and was set for restricted free agency in 2023 after the Commanders drafted him in 2020 and waived him. He’s primarily a special-teams player, with just 146 defensive snaps in three seasons.

Hudson (5’11/224) was a three-year starting safety at Michigan who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and the Michigan Special Teams Player of the Year as a senior. A versatile player with quality speed, Hudson profiles best as a box safety and subpackage linebacker who will obviously be an asset on special teams, too. His 4.56 speed and aggressiveness made him highly productive (102 tackles as a senior) and are traits that will translate to the NFL, although it’s unclear if he has the size to handle many snaps at linebacker. Hudson needs work in coverage, particularly with his ball skills and eyes, but he has the mental makeup and speed to compete for a box safety job.

Hudson (5’11/224) was a three-year starting safety at Michigan who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and the Michigan Special Teams Player of the Year as a senior. A versatile player with quality speed, Hudson profiles best as a box safety and subpackage linebacker who will obviously be an asset on special teams, too. His 4.56 speed and aggressiveness made him highly productive (102 tackles as a senior) and are traits that will translate to the NFL, although it’s unclear if he has the size to handle many snaps at linebacker. Hudson needs work in coverage, particularly with his ball skills and eyes, but he has the mental makeup and speed to compete for a box safety job. At the very least, Hudson will find his way onto (and likely excel at) special teams in his rookie year.

Given that Hudson is a safety who converted to linebacker, it makes sense that Hudson’s best trait is mobility. Hudson (5'11/224) is certainly on the small side for a linebacker, but Zierlein commends Hudson for his toughness and willingness despite him being significantly smaller than the offensive linemen he is approaching. However, willingness only goes so far, and Hudson has issues in battling with the strength of the 300-pounders up front. Hudson is a backup-caliber player for now and will need to make some improvements in dealing with blockers to perhaps move up whichever roster he ends up on.

Hudson (5'11/224) could end up playing either linebacker or safety in the NFL, but was running with the linebackers on Saturday. While his time in the 40-yard dash was perfectly respectable, NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein notes that Hudson lacks for real range and (obviously) real size. Hudson managed an overall PFF grade of just 66.4 during the 2019 campaign.

That’s the most of any linebacker that took place, and it’s more than all but four defensive lineman. That number is even more impressive when you consider that Hudson is listed at just 5-foot-11, 224-pounds -- the latter figure being less than the amount of weight he was benching. Hudson was certainly productive for the Wolverines, but the lack of defined position has his draft stock in flux. At the very least, his strength shouldn’t be in question.

Hudson (5'11/224) was used all over the field during his time at Michigan, lining up at either linebacker or strong safety depending upon the situation/personnel. And he’s seen as a bit of a “tweener” at the next level, as he lacks the size of a conventional linebacker and has limited range in the opinion of NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein. Hudson is projected to be a Day 3 selection in April, and the Steelers have picks in rounds 4, 6 and 7.

This will be a busy month for Hudson (6'0"/220), who accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl last month. The former Michigan hybrid defender, who was used as either a linebacker or a strong safety depending upon the situation, accounted for 101 total tackles (3.0 for loss), 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and three pass breakups in 2019. Given a fourth-round grade by Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline in August, Hudson projects to be a Day 3 prospect heading into the pre-draft season.

Hudson is one of four Wolverines who accepted an invitation to the event; joining Shea Patterson, Lavert Hill and Michael Danna. The 6-foot, 220-pound defender plays a hybrid linebacker/safety position for Michigan, and he was a tackling machine in his time in Ann Arbor. So far in 2020, he’s picked up 96 tackles with three pass breakups and a sack, for good measure. He’ll have a chance to show that the productivity translates in January.