Tweet
After drafting Hardy I decided to consult a Indiana fan that also runs psxsports.com. Here is what he said:
James Hardy is an interesting choice. He could be a star or exit the league within a few years. He wanted to play basketball at Indiana, but Indiana didn't have a basketball scholarship for him, so they recruited him to play football (to give him a scholarship) and basketball. He started out really raw (couldn't run routes). He played more like Tony Gonzalez, where he would box out the defender and then cut towards the sideline. He broke out as a redshirt freshmen and made huge strides once he figured his footwork out.
It is tough to predict how good James Hardy will be in the NFL. He worked really hard on improving his speed and he has deceptive speed on the deep ball. His greatest attributes are his height and hands. James Hardy goes after the ball (catches the ball away from his body) and is notorious for making the impossible catch in traffic. Indiana never really had a good quarterback while James Hardy was there and most of James Hardy's receptions were due to his ability to go after the ball.
James Hardy will always be one of my favorite college football players because he plays with fire. He will run cornerbacks over, stare at the man covering him after a reception, and is extremely competative. James isn't a Keyshawn Johnson in terms of demanding the ball, but he has a presence where he can single handedly take over a game. I couldn't find a decent highlight reel of James Hardy, but his 2006-2007 season was amazing!!!
The biggest drawback to James Hardy is his route running. I'm not sure how well he will be able to seperate from NFL corners. He is still learning the game and once he learns how to run routes and a few stutter steps he will be a stud in the NFL. Otherwise, he could never get off the bench.
Thanks again for the PM and I will be cheering the Bills on with you (two of my friends from IU are huge Bills fans!).
DT
James Hardy is an interesting choice. He could be a star or exit the league within a few years. He wanted to play basketball at Indiana, but Indiana didn't have a basketball scholarship for him, so they recruited him to play football (to give him a scholarship) and basketball. He started out really raw (couldn't run routes). He played more like Tony Gonzalez, where he would box out the defender and then cut towards the sideline. He broke out as a redshirt freshmen and made huge strides once he figured his footwork out.
It is tough to predict how good James Hardy will be in the NFL. He worked really hard on improving his speed and he has deceptive speed on the deep ball. His greatest attributes are his height and hands. James Hardy goes after the ball (catches the ball away from his body) and is notorious for making the impossible catch in traffic. Indiana never really had a good quarterback while James Hardy was there and most of James Hardy's receptions were due to his ability to go after the ball.
James Hardy will always be one of my favorite college football players because he plays with fire. He will run cornerbacks over, stare at the man covering him after a reception, and is extremely competative. James isn't a Keyshawn Johnson in terms of demanding the ball, but he has a presence where he can single handedly take over a game. I couldn't find a decent highlight reel of James Hardy, but his 2006-2007 season was amazing!!!
The biggest drawback to James Hardy is his route running. I'm not sure how well he will be able to seperate from NFL corners. He is still learning the game and once he learns how to run routes and a few stutter steps he will be a stud in the NFL. Otherwise, he could never get off the bench.
Thanks again for the PM and I will be cheering the Bills on with you (two of my friends from IU are huge Bills fans!).
DT
Comment