UNC's Nicks looks to be underrated
I use my off day (Saturday) during the NFL regular season to watch as much college football as possible. North Carolina split end Hakeem Nicks was the most consistently impressive offensive skill player I saw all year, aside from Oklahoma's Sam Bradford.
Nicks -- not even on the draft radar at the time -- first caught my eye in a 28-24 comeback win at Miami (FL) in September, dominating with five catches for 133 yards and a score. Two weeks later Nicks torched Notre Dame for nine grabs and 141 yards despite facing rolled coverage because the Tar Heels' supposed No. 1 receiver, Brandon Tate, tore his ACL early in the game. Nicks got open at will and caught everything thrown his way.
This was before Nicks' true coming-out party (8-217-3) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against a highly talented West Virginia secondary, when he did this.
Nicks saw double teams the rest of the season, but still averaged 18.0 YPC, much better than more heralded draft-eligibles Michael Crabtree (12.2), Jeremy Maclin (12.4), Percy Harvin (16.1), and Darrius Heyward-Bey (14.5). Nicks also comes from a pro-style offense, not a gimmicky spread like the first three, and produced despite musical chairs at quarterback in Chapel Hill.
Entering the draft process there were questions about Nicks' straight-line speed, but he answered with a rock-solid 4.49 forty at the Combine.
I just wanted to provide a little background on why I plan to rank Nicks No. 2 in Thursday's receiver rankings. The situation must be right, but I think he's the most likely wideout in this draft to make a 1,000-yard rookie impact.
Comments
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