WR, Leonard Hankerson (6’3 215 lbs.) – Miami Hurricanes
Separation Skills: Isn’t overly quick or sudden during intermediate routes. Needs to further develop his route running. Sometimes takes too long coming in and out of breaks. Does do a nice job of separating on deep routes. Is a long strider that builds up good speed the further down field he is. Excels at pulling away from defenders once he reaches the third level. Uses his body to position himself and shield defenders from passes. Is more effective running drags, in cuts, and seam routes, as oppose to comebacks and jerk routes.
Ball Skills: Started his college career with poor-average ball skills. Has continued to work on his focus and hands, and is one of the most improved players in the nation. Uses every inch of his frame and his large wing span to high point the ball. Attacks the ball and uses his strong hands to pluck it from the sky. Is a pure hands catcher. Does a nice job at having his hands spread and in the ready position before the ball arrives. Focus has improved over the years. Catches the easy balls as well as the hard ones. Has a knack for making one handed catches. Knows how to use his body to his advantage. Boxes out defenders like how a basketball player would box out for a rebound. Has good balance and body control. Knows how to adjust to poorly thrown balls.
Big play ability: Starts off slow, but has good top end speed because of his long stride. Is a huge threat deep down the field. Is a smooth runner that can lull defenders to sleep. Does well with the ball in his hands. Isn’t very elusive or quick, but can pick up yards after the catch by using his size and strength. Requires a lot of attention in the redzone.
Competitiveness/ Toughness: Competes for every ball. Never concedes a pass to a defender. Not afraid to go over the middle and make a play. Doesn’t shy away from contact after the catch.
Intangibles: 2010 All-ACC 1st Team. Has been mentored by some of the best. All-Pro receiver, Cris Carter was his high school receivers coach. Works out with NFL great Mark Duper during the offseason. Mature young man. Teammates call him “Old Man”. Juggles the responsibilities of being a student athlete and father of two.
Overall Stock: Leonard Hankerson has shown great discipline and work ethic during his tenure at Miami. He was highly touted out of high school, and things didn’t start off so well in college. He had a difficult time focusing, often dropping easy balls. It took him some time to adjust to the college game. He eventually buckled down and worked his butt off to become one of the top receivers in the nation in 2010. Hankerson has the size, hands, and big play ability to be a solid receiver in the NFL. At his size, he is very versatile. He has experience playing outside the hashes and in the slot. With his huge frame, he has proven to be quite dangerous in the slot. He knows how to sit in empty zones and work the seams, similar to Saints receiver, Marques Colston. The team that drafts him can line him up all over the field to create mismatches. Hankerson isn’t in the same class as AJ Green and Julio Jones, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a quality receiver. With further development, he can become a bonafide number one receiver. Right now, he is a solid number two. Look for Hankerson to come off the board in round two. 
NFL Comparisons: Braylon Edwards and Marques Colston
PRO Prospects 