Chad Hanson   WR   California

TALENT
ROUND
2

STRENGTHS
Chad is an acrobatic speed receiver with the potential to become an intricate part of your passing game. He has good size and good mental toughness. He has excellent hands and with his ability to adjust to the ball in the air and snatch the ball with his hands Chad the “potential” to become a franchise receiver similar to Steelers Antonio Brown. The difference being Antonio is listed at 5’10” 185 lbs and Chad is listed at 6’1’ 195 Lbs and is more acrobatic and with a bigger catch radius. He has quick feet and excellent balance to make yardage after the catch. He will catch the ball in a crowd and is adept at leaping an extending his catch radius. Chad works hard all game long and does a solid job blocking when asked to. There is a lot potential to work with and I believe there is upside to this kids overall game to become a franchise receiver for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
In the offensive system that Chad is in, he is not running the whole route tree so a learning curve is obvious. He will struggle getting off the line against bigger and faster and quicker completion until he learns the tricks of the trade. He has to bulk up to take the pounding at the next level and to add more run after the catch yardage to his game. The key to Chad’s game is that he has the speed to go deep and the acrobatic talents to have a big catch radius. Chad will be downgraded because of the offensive system but if he runs at the combine as fast as I think he can he will move up very quickly.

BOTTOM LINE
The NFL teams love speed and when they see a player with excellent speed they have a tendency to overlook issues that would normally bother them and down grade any other player. It would not surprise me to see Chad run in the 4.3 area at the combine and if that happens most teams will go back the film and see that Chad is a lot more talented catching the ball than your average speed receiver. Although I have compared Chad to Antonio Brown, Chad has a long ways to go before he proves that he can stand in Antonio’s shadow much less be his equal. Remember the word “potential” has as much a negative meaning as a positive meaning. Chad’s “potential” to be the same style receiver as Antonio Brown will depend on learning to change gears running his routes, become more physical getting off the line and more physical running routes. It will take some time but he looks to be a hard worker and never gives up all game long running routes and trying to get open for his quarterback. I think what sets him apart from most speed receivers is his acrobatic abilities to adjust to the ball in the air giving him a large catch radius and of course his size. Chad has some work to do but if he works hard there is no limit to his ability to become one of the better receivers to come out in this draft…or for that matter any draft! But then again…right now it’s just in the “potential” faze.

Drew Boylhart  FEB.2017