Scouting the Cowboys UDFA class: Fullback Hunter Luepke

Hunter Luepke was a two-star recruit coming out of high school. He received two offers in 2018 and chose the North Dakota Bisons to be his home. He redshirted his first year as he continued to develop. During his four years for the Bisons, he played 839 snaps on offense and 66 snaps on special teams. As a rusher, Luepke finished at with 219 attempts, 1,665 rush yards, averaged 6.3 yards per carry and scored 24 rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, he had 28 catches for 494 yards, nine touchdowns and when targeted he earned a respectable 120.7 passer rating. As a blocker, he never allowed a single sack and only allowed two pressures on 59 pass block snaps. He was awarded MVP of the FCS Championship game in 2021. He missed playing in the Senior Bowl due to a shoulder injury he picked up at the end of the season.

Measurables:

Height- 6’1”
Weight- 230
Hands- 9 5/8
Arm Length- 32
Wingspan- 75 3/4

NFL Combine/Pro Day (Percentile)

10-Yard Split- 1.5 (92%)
40-Yard Time- 4.61s (88%)
Vert- 36.5 (90%)
Broad- 117 (76%)
Shuttle- 4.43s (39%)
3C- 7.03s (84%)

Scorecard:

Overall- 61.0/100 (7th-round grade)
Ball Carrying- 76/100
Contact Balance- 78/100
Receiving- 71/100
Blocking- 68/100
Speed- 91/100
Strength- 83/100
Acceleration- 98/100
Agility- 69/100

The Positives:

• The most versatile player taken by Dallas in the UDFA class.
• Good power and strength as a ball carrier.
• Amazing patience and understanding of positioning on screen passes.
• Elite burst and acceleration through the hole.
• Good trucking ability to drive through would-be tacklers. Regularly falling forward after a tackle or digs in and drives his legs.
• Shows good ability to catch poorly thrown passes.
• Efficient at transitioning from receiver to ball carrier which helps him gain yards quickly.
• Adequate speed to beat outside linebackers that are trying to chase him down.
• Good power as a blocker and willing.
• Very tough player and gritty as a blocker.
• Extremely good at playing on special teams.

Areas of Improvement:

• Limited vision out the backfield.
• Not a quick processor of taking in all his keys.
• Will be limited to short yard situations as a rusher.
• His run blocking technique needs refinement. Can get lackadaisical.
• A lot of wins in the passing game from play-action leaving him wide open and free.
• Plays a very undervalued position on offense.
• Not considered a fast player.
• Had plays as a rusher where he ran into his own linemen.
• Not an elusive player as a ball carrier.

The Evaluation:

There are two major factors that will help Hunter Luepke find success with the Dallas Cowboys and they’re simple, versatility and scheme fit. His experience and athleticism to play special teams will ultimately be the biggest factor to him playing for Dallas as he looks to fill missing parts of the core special teams that got lost in the offseason. Luepke’s ability to play as rusher out the backfield with good power and drive makes him a very useful weapon on an offense that needs a short-yardage mauler behind more shifty backs. He has good skills as a receiver and can break quickly to get out to the flat, offering check-down or screen options for Dak Prescott. His blocking skills are solid and he has a good foundation at this stage entering the NFL. As with all prospects coming out of smaller schools, it’s the competition level and play speed that’s in question which means his technique needs tweaking. For a team moving to Mike McCarthy’s west coast offense, his scheme fit is ideal.

Consensus Ranking:

241st

Roster Forecast:

53-man roster