New York Jets: Rookie Chad Hansen could prove to be valuable pick
The New York Jets drafted wide receiver Chad Hansen in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Here we take a close look at the talented rookie.
The New York Jets went about the business of strengthening their wide receiver corps by drafting a pair of receivers in the 2017 NFL Draft with high upside and excellent potential. ArDarius Stewart of Alabama came off the board in the third round (79th overall), followed by Chad Hansen of the University of California in the fourth round (141st overall).
Today we are going to take a closer look at Hansen, a 6-2, 202-pounder who ranked third in the FBS with 9.2 receptions per game. The Fillmore, CA native was a second-team All-Pac 12 performer and averaged a whopping 124.9 yards receiving per contest last year, which ranked him fourth overall in the FBS. Hansen scored 11 touchdowns despite missing two games with an ankle injury.
Without any further adieu, let’s take a look at some of his highlights from the 2016 season with the Golden Bears:
The first thing you notice is what a superb athlete Hansen is. He has excellent body control along the sidelines and is a strong, physical receiver with good hands. One of his strengths is his YAC (yards after catch) ability where he can turn a short pass completion into a long-gainer. He works back to the thrown football very effectively, especially on bubble screens, and has good speed once he breaks into the open field. While Hansen does not possess blazing speed, once he breaks tackles and gets a head of steam up he can take it to the house.
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Hansen should be fine red zone target for the Jets because he runs the slant pattern very well and is fierce in going for the football when hotly contested by defenders. He is not afraid of contact. In fact, it looks like he enjoys contact at the point of impact. While not a speed demon like Desean Jackson, Hansen has the burst and acceleration to get past defensive backs. According to Pro Football Focus, Hansen caught all 17 catchable deep throws of 20-plus yards or more last season for the Golden Bears. Not a single drop. That’s impressive.
Pro Football Focus also compares Hansen to Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos which is a nice compliment indeed but no player in the NFL is without a few warts, so to speak. Hansen needs to expand his route tree and he can be jammed at the line of scrimmage by physical press cornerbacks. He also is a little slow coming out of his breaks at times. Those weaknesses can be worked on in OTAs and training camp before the new season begins.
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Hansen is not a finished product at this time — few rookies are — but it’s easy to see the potential that this kid has. He should be able to develop into a solid NFL receiver and for a 141st overall pick, General manager Mike Maccagnan got great value at that point of the draft. With even decent quarterback play, Hansen should be a fine No. 2 or 3 receiver for Gang Green this coming season.