Rookie Spotlight: Hakeem Nicks
What you know: Hakeem Nicks was the 29th player drafted in the and the 5th overall receiver taken. He played three seasons at the University of North Carolina and was a first team all-ACC in his Junior year.
Nicks is a durable receiver who possesses above average strength and pass catching ability.
Not the fastest receiver in the rookie crop, recording a 4.63 forty.
He’s listed at 6’1 210 lbs.
What you may not have known: in high school, Nicks played for Independence and did not lose a game throughout his tenure. In the 4-AA state championship game, Nicks won MVP honors, reeling in eight catches for 205 yards and two TDs.
Nicks is the first Tar Heel since Julius Peppers in 2001 to declare for the NFL draft after his junior season. He set 14 school records for North Carolina including receptions (181), receiving yards (2,580), and touchdowns with 21. Also, he became UNC’s first ever 1,000 yard receiver.
Yes, I know UNC is not the most established school in regards to college football legacies…but still very impressive.
The wide receiver ranked 10th in college football in yards per reception last season at 18.8. interestingly, the nine above him all had less yards and as much as 41 less receptions. (see Tim Brown from Rutgers)
He has the second biggest hands of all the wide receivers according to The Sporting News.
Bottom line, Nicks is the type of guy that you know what your getting. He’s a fairly big receiver with good hands and good body control. Down the line, Nicks could turn out to be a very reliable target for Eli, both down the field and in the red zone.
In cased you missed it, here’s a clip of one of the best catches I’ve ever seen, courtesy of our very own New York Giant, Hakeem Nicks:
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