Chad Hansen, California
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 202 lbs.
Arms: 32 1/8”
Hands: 10 1/8”
Vertical: 35”
40-yard dash: 4.53 seconds
It’s pretty easy to fall in love with Hansen, because he’s always doing the fundamentals correctly. All you hear from his former coaches is that he’s a non-stop worker, always out-working those around him. It’s also been said that he plays with a chip on his shoulder, because he was a walk-on at Cal University. His work ethic and skills should translate to the NFL, too, but will it translate to fantasy football?
It was clear to see that Hansen was the alpha-dog in the Cal offense, as he caught 92 passes and 11 touchdowns in just 10 games during the 2016 season. He’s a possession-style receiver that has really good size (6’2” and 202 pounds) and plays a majority of his snaps on the perimeter. That’s likely where he’ll remain in the NFL, as he doesn’t quite have the speed you’d want for a slot receiver.
When it comes to route-running, Hansen is decent, though not overly impressive. Where he does impress, though, is his awareness. He knows when to come back towards the ball in order to help out his quarterback, and he can also sell his routes, often with his hands. His knowledge of where he is on the field is among the most impressive I’ve seen in this draft class, as he makes sideline catches appear much easier than they are. Another area that stands out is Hansen’s ability to track balls thrown over his shoulder.
He’s smart with the ball in his hands, but isn’t going to break very many tackles at the pro level. When catching passes on screens (which he did a lot at Cal), he relied heavily on his vision rather than strength. When it comes to catching the ball, it’s one of his biggest strengths, and that’s likely due to his hands that measured a massive 10 1/8 inches. They were the fifth-largest among 58 wide receivers at the NFL Combine.
The downside to Hansen is that he isn’t too athletically gifted and he may struggle with press coverage in the NFL. He has average separation skills, which could lead to a lot of contested catches. He doesn’t have elite speed, however he does vary his speed in his routes very well, and has a second gear. He’s a very willing blocker and one someone who can likely be used on special teams because of that.
Hansen isn’t mentioned with the top-tier guys in this draft, and while I can see why, he shouldn’t be far outside of them. There is real potential with him, as we’ve seen him grow as a player since high school to a walk-on at Cal, all the way through 2016 when he finished top 20 in the NCAA for receiving yards.
NFL comparison
When trying to find a player to compare him to, I wanted to find someone who was quick, but not fast. I also wanted a player who is likely best suited as the No. 2 wide receiver in an offense, though he can offer a possession role similar to that of a No. 1. Because of that, it was best to include two players in his comparison. Both Jeremy Maclin and Adam Thielen are great comps for a player like Hansen. He’s a bigger version of those two, but he plays very similar. While Maclin got his opportunity right away, Thielen had to work for his. Don’t write Hansen off if he doesn’t start right away, because he’s shown before that he’s able to overcome obstacles.
To read up on some of the other high-profile NFL Draft prospects, check out the links below:
Corey Davis – (WR, Western Michigan)
Mike Williams – (WR, Clemson)
John Ross – (WR, Washington)
Taywan Taylor – (WR, Western Kentucky)
JuJu Smith-Schuster – (WR, USC)
Chris Godwin – (WR, Penn State)
ArDarius Stewart – (WR, Alabama)
Carlos Henderson – (WR, Louisiana Tech)
Ep. 72: Dynasty Rookie Draft
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.
