Bucs running back Sean Tucker is one of the newest additions to the running back room. After working through a medical concern with a heart condition that limited him through the pre-draft process, he is ready to ramp back up in training camp.

Tucker spoke to the media for the first time on Thursday and addressed his health, skillset, and speed – the latter of which he brings plenty of to the backfield.

Sean Tucker Is Healthy And Ready To Play

The biggest concern for Sean Tucker was not his ability. Heading into the NFL Scouting Combine, he was presumed to be a Day 2 draft pick. His college career at Syracuse was filled with making big plays, and he now carries the legacy of the late Jim Brown by donning the No. 44 he wore for the orange men with the Bucs.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

Tucker would wind up going undrafted after an undisclosed medical issue popped up. While he declined to get into the specifics exactly, he mentioned the difficulty in hearing the news and reaffirmed he is healthy and ready to make an impact.

“It was hard at first,” Tucker said. “Just hearing everything when I got the news, it came as a surprise. Hearing that the day before my position group had the combine drills, it was definitely hard. Looking forward to trying to stay ahead of what’s next. When I found out at the combine, it was something that came as a surprise.

“Hearing that and taking it in and figuring out what I had to do to come back, and making sure I was on the positive side of things and focused on what I had to do to come back out here and playing football. It was really nothing. Just something I had to go through, a little process. I’ve been healthy and ready to play football.”

Having mentioned being healthy, the next biggest question is just how much he can produce if he impresses and is given a chance at carries behind Rachaad White. With an NFL-worst rushing attack last year, Tucker has a path to plenty of carries, especially if he claims the No. 2 role.

The Bucs gave Leonard Fournette 189 carries last season, while White had 129. If the incumbent second-year back is eased into a heavier workload, an early-season run game could feature the Syracuse product quite a bit if he can surpass Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Chase Edmonds on the depth chart.

Especially if he lives up to his newfound nickname.

Where Did “Baby Nick Chubb” Nickname Come From?

The word around the AdventHealth Training Center this offseason is that Sean Tucker has a nickname. It carries with it significant weight — “Baby Nick Chubb.” Being compared to one of the best running backs in the NFL is no slight comparison.

Browns RB Nick Chubb, Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and S Mike Edwards – Photo by: USA Today

But where did it come from? Sean Tucker mentioned its origins.

“It came from Trey Palmer,” Tucker said. “That’s what he calls me around the building and stuff like that. It’s funny. [Chubb] is definitely a person that is up there as a running back, so I mean, it’s not a bad comparison.”

At about 5-9 and 207 pounds, one would think Sean Tucker fits the profile of a power back. Being a short, stocky back is one reason the comparisons to Chubb have resonated. Chubb himself is known for his abnormal strength.

The intrigue with Tucker is that he profiles himself as being more of a speed back, and he went into detail about how quick he is when the stopwatch starts.

Just How Fast Is Sean Tucker?

“I’m more of a speed guy, an elusive kind of back,” Tucker said. “My speed is something that I pride myself on. I posted a training video on my Twitter page of my Combine training and the stuff that I was doing. That video was actually posted like two weeks before the combine. The numbers that I was planning and hopeful to put up at the combine were definitely going to be something that would surprise a lot of people. In the video, I was running what – a 4.3, something 4.3.”

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Tucker’s two attempts shown in the video were 4.39 and 4.33, impressive numbers for a running back. The top two running backs in this past draft – Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs – ran a 4.46 and 4.36, respectively.

If Tucker had been cleared to be officially clocked and measured in the spring, he would have been a likely selection in the first few rounds of the draft.

Instead, Sean Tucker has his sights on simply making the 53-man roster and getting playing time.

“I would say a personal goal is just being able to make the field however I can,” Tucker said. “Getting on the field, being able to play, and putting myself out there.”