| No. 75 –New York Jets | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Guard | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | (1999-06-17)June 17, 1999 (age 26) Oakland, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 308 lb (140 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) | ||||||
| College: | USC (2017–2020) | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 2021: 1st round, 14th pick | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||
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Solomon Alijah Lewis Vera-Tucker (born June 17, 1999) is an American professionalfootballguard for theNew York Jets of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theUSC Trojans, where he was awarded theMorris Trophy in 2020 and was a two-timeAll-Pac-12 selection. Vera-Tucker was selected by the Jets in the first round of the2021 NFL draft.
Vera-Tucker grew up inOakland, California and attendedBishop O'Dowd High School.[1] He played offensive tackle and defensive end on the football team and was named an Under Armour All-American as a senior.[2] Vera-Tucker was rated a four-star recruit and committed to playcollege football at USC over offers fromWashington,Oregon,Arizona,Arizona State,California,UCLA andWashington State.[3]
Vera-Tuckerredshirted his true freshman season.[4] Vera-Tucker played in all 12 of the Trojans games as a reserve guard and on special teams during his redshirt freshman season.[5][6] He was named first-teamAll-Pac-12 Conference by theAssociated Press. Vera-Tucker considered entering the2020 NFL draft, but opted to return to USC for his redshirt junior season.[7] Following the announcement that Pac-12 would postpone the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vera-Tucker announced that he would opt out of the season in order to focus on preparing for the2021 NFL draft.[8] Vera-Tucker reversed his decision to opt out after the Pac-12 announced that they would resume fall football.[9]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 308 lb (140 kg) | 32+1⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 5.10 s | 1.77 s | 2.95 s | 4.63 s | 7.70 s | 32.0 in (0.81 m) | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) | 32 reps | |
| All values fromPro Day[10][11][12] | ||||||||||||
Vera-Tucker was selected by theNew York Jets in the first round (14th overall) of the2021 NFL draft.[13] He signed his four-year rookie contract with the Jets on July 20, 2021, worth $15.88 million.[14] He was named the Jets starting left guard, and started 16 games there, and was named to thePFWA All-Rookie Team.[15]
Vera-Tucker was named the Jets starting right guard in 2022 after the team signed left guardLaken Tomlinson. He started at left tackle in Week 4 after an injury toGeorge Fant, then moved to right tackle in Week 5 after an injury toMax Mitchell, and started the next three games. He suffered a torntriceps in Week 7 and was placed on injured reserve on October 25, 2022.[16]
Vera-Tucker returned as the Jets starting right guard in 2023. He moved to right tackle in Week 3 due to injuries. He suffered an Achilles injury in Week 5 and was placed on injured reserve on October 11, 2023.[17]
On April 30, 2024, the Jets picked up the fifth-year option on Vera-Tucker's contract.[18]