Leonard Hankerson
6'3 205 pounds | Wide Receiver | Miami Hurricanes
Leonard Hankerson NFL Draft Scouting Report
Accelaration: Hankerson’s quick feet and long stride help him to accelerate to full speed and eat up grass fast and also to turn up the field fast right after the catch. He does not have that elite 2nd gear, but seems to always get open downfield when the situation calls for it.
Agility: He has the agility, balance, and body control to adjust and make great catches. He has the jumping ability to get up high to win jump balls. Can change directions quickly to get in and out of his cuts.
Body Control: Hankerson has very good body control. He has the balance and playing strength to keep his feet under him against defenders who are attempting to bring him down. Can make the tough over the shoulder catch and also able to tap feet inbounds along the sidelines and back of endzone.
Blocking: He gives a consistently good effort blocking. Will aid teammate downfield with a block to help him elude a defender. He has the size and strength to eliminate his man from the play.
Hands: He has very good hands to pluck ball away from body. He also has good hand-eye coordination to make catches that are off target. When he does not stay focused he sometimes struggles and drops passes that he routinely catches. He does not let ball get into his body often, usually catches with hands then brings in tight against his body.
Release: His agility and playing strength help him to defeat the cornerback’s jam fast. Gets off the ball quickly, but sometimes takes false steps in his technique. He can play inside at slot or out wide and still get a good release. While he lacks an explosive 1st step, once he gets going he can accelerate fast with his long stride.
Route running: He consistently runs great routes and finds a way to get separation. He does not have great short area burst to get in and out of cuts because of long stride.
He does not have elite speed to get downfield fast on the deep routes, but has very deceptive speed and if a defender loses focus for a moment he can get by him with speed and make the play. (See 2010 Clemson and 2010 Georgia Tech highlights)
Size: Hankerson has excellent height for a receiver, but for his size is thin in the arms and legs. Because of that I am a little concerned about his durability as a NFL receiver. Needs to add a little more muscle. His size though helps him to be a threat in the red zone area.
Speed: He does not possess elite speed and has that so called 2nd gear. He uses the playing speed and quick burst he does have very well to get open and to separate from the defender to make the catch. He is not a true deep threat receiver, but like I said he always seems to find ways to get open.
Final Word: Hankerson has all the ability and skills to be a very good NFL player. Leonard had maybe the most productive single season as a receiver in Miami Hurricane history. He broke Michael Irvin’s single season record of 11 td’s with 13 td’s of his own. He might not be a true no.1 receiver at the moment, but with some proper coaching and better technique he could emerge as one down the road. He reminds me of a bigger version of Reggie Wayne, he also was not an elite speedster but every Sunday he finds ways to get open and score touchdowns. He would be a great compliment receiver with teams such as the Falcons, Texans, Dolphins, Colts, Chiefs, and the Ravens.
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