National Football League

2017 NFL Draft: California Chad Hansen Scouting Report

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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California’s Chad Hansen is a powerfully built wide receiver prospect who has big-play potential.

Chad Hansen is a big target who flashes the ability to take the top off a defense. He is a long strider who needs time to get up to full speed. However, once he reaches his top-end speed Hansen is capable of outpacing the defensive backs.

Hansen’s size and speed combination are what makes him an interesting prospect. He has the measurables evaluators look for in an NFL wide receiver.

The issue is that Hansen lacks polish and natural receiving skills. He doesn’t feature reliable hands often letting the ball into his body and double catching the football. At this point, he isn’t someone the quarterback can rely on making a tough catch.

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Hansen isn’t a quick-twitch athlete which makes it tough for him to create separation. He struggles to run clean routes because he has some stiffness to his hips. Hansen is solely an outside receiver who will a have a limited route tree.

An area that Hansen really needs to improve is his leaping ability and timing. He is often late on his jumps which limits his ability to high point the football. This makes his size less of an advantage and thus less effective of a player.

Hansen is someone that NFL teams will give attention to based on his natural ability. He has the long speed to stretch the field and the size to win in contested situations. However, this is someone that needs to learn the finer points of the position and how to use his skills properly.

His adjustment time will also be slowed by the fact that he plays in California’s spread attack. This offense doesn’t ask as its receivers to run a wide array of routes.

Current Draft Position: Late 4th Round

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