*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Jerald Hawkins Getting Day-Three Grades
Updated Feb. 11, 2016By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
In recent years, there have been a lot of early-entry players going to the NFL when they should have returned to school. One player who fits that criteria this year is LSU offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins, who was the Tigers’ left tackle after playing right tackle in the previous seasons. In speaking with multiple evaluators, they are down on Hawkins and have not given him good draft grades.
Sources from multiple teams have said that they graded Hawkins on day three. They say he lacks strength and doesn’t have power in his base. He plays with poor leverage, gets fooled and is bulled around, and they think he’s a backup-quality player in the NFL. They his best attribute is he has pretty good feet. He also has length, so teams feel there are some tools to work with, which gives him a draftable grade.
A few teams said they had a fourth-round grade on Hawkins. Another said they had him as a fifth- or sixth-rounder who is a developmental backup. Perhaps another year at LSU would have given Hawkins time to get stronger for the NFL. It looks like Hawkins will be in for a long wait come draft weekend.
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