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Justin Hardy 2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Hardy may be small, but he has a chance to be one of the most productive receivers from this year's class.

By Terry A. Lambert
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Position

Wide receiver

School

ECU

Size

5'10, 190 pounds

Strengths

Hardy has slot receiver written all over him, but he's more that just that.  He's listed at just 5'10, but he plays a lot bigger that that.  Hardy is actually an excellent high point catcher.  I saw it time after time during each game that I watched.  He has the ability to jump over defenders and pluck the ball right out of the air.  The clip below is the best example that I could find.  How many fade routes do you see thrown to the 5'10 receiver coming out of the slot?

Here's one more that shows Hardy fighting through contact and keeping his concentration.

Hardy is definitely more quick than he is fast.  He returned punts during his time at ECU and is electric in the open field.  His short area burst and lateral agility are going to pay dividends in the NFL.  He wins with separation -- which he can create with quick feet and fluid cuts.  Here's a clip of Hardy taking a screen pass and turning it into a big gain.  Watch his acceleration after he makes the first man miss.

Weaknesses

The biggest question mark that I have on Hardy is his long speed.  That was backed up at the combine when he was clocked in the 4.6 range.  He was able to have success on vertical routes in college, but the speed in the NFL is a different animal.

He'll always face questions about his size, but I don't think it's a huge issue.  Sure, he won't be the jumpball guy in the NFL, but he can still separate and make hay in the middle of the field.

Summary

Hardy translates to an instant number three receiver on an NFL roster.  He will have a big impact on third downs when his quarterback needs him to get open around the first down marker.  He compares pretty favorably to Kendall Wright.  Both guys are undersized and don't have great long speed, but they can make things happen in the short area.  Hardy is a day two player to me and should be able to step in and be a difference maker very early in his career.

Draft Projection

Third round

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