Leonard Hankerson looking like a No. 1 receiver

MOBILE, Ala. — The South receivers have not been getting much publicity at the Senior Bowl this week, but Miami’s Leonard Hankerson could be changing that.

Hankerson was exceptional during Wednesday’s practice, repeatedly getting open and making catches against tight coverage. He also seemed to emerge as one of the favored targets of the South quarterbacks, who knew he could make the play if they gave him a chance.

With his performance, Hankerson has elevated himself as one of the top wideouts in the draft. His combination of speed, route running and hands make him look like a potential No. 1 receiver at the pro level.

Hankerson goes through his routes with a smoothness and precision that will serve him well. He doesn't look as fast as he is because he does run so well, he manages to avoid the jerkiness you'll see from less practiced route runners. He's good on routes where he needs to come back or turn inside after faking an out, but he's not a guy who will blaze off a cornerback when he's running a crossing route. He's a bit slow on those types of routes - when he hits a hard cut, it takes him a second to get back up to speed. But he is a good lanky strider with excellent hands (after solving a drop problem earlier in his collegiate career) and he doesn't back off in traffic. If you want a player who understands route complexity and can execute it, Hankerson's a good place to start ... though I thought the same of Ohio State's Brian Robiskie(notes), and Robiskie hasn't shown a lot just yet.

I thought Hankerson was most effective outside, with a smaller, faster slot guy inside to take potential zone problems away with inside routes. Two of those players were Greg Salas of Hawaii and USC's Ronald Johnson. Johnson impressed me with his pure quickness on quick slants and crosses. He knows how to get into zones and create yards after catch, and he could make a career out of his ability to get the quick sideline pass and peel off the defender - it was driving the guys covering him nuts. Salas also showed a nice burst after catch, and he's a slightly bigger guy.



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