My guy... please God let the Bears draft this guy in the first
http://unc.fandome.com/video/106093/Hak ... hts-vs-BC/
I couldn't get the video to embed. If anyone knows how (mods) feel free to edit my post.
WR Prospect(Analysis + Videos): Hakeem Nicks
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Scouting Report
GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 7.2
Body Structure: Nicks has a well-built frame with good arm length, tight abdomen, thick thighs and well-developed calves. He shows good upper body muscle definition, especially in his chest and shoulders. He has toned arms, long torso and good flexibility, balance and knee bend.
Athletic Ability: Nicks lacks blazing speed, but it is rare to see him struggle vs. the jam as he has more than enough power and good hand usage to get a clean release off the snap. He shows excellent balance and crisp cutting ability, demonstrating the agility and flexibility to make adjustments in his route without having to throttle down. He has very good body control, doing a nice job of settling in the soft areas and displays the vision and burst to come back when the pocket is pressured. He is effective when used on the reverse, keeping his pads down to drive hard with his legs in attempts to break arm tackles. He is a bit of a long strider, but shows above average foot quickness in his patterns. He is fluid in his movements and has sharp stop-and-go action. GRADE: 7.7
Football Sense: Nicks only needs normal reps to learn and retain plays. He shows good awareness and instincts and understands the game and coverages. He adjusts well on the move and has no problems dealing with classroom work. When he gets open, he knows what his job is - to move the chains. GRADE: 7.3
Character: Nicks is highly respected, considered a good guy and is highly recommended by his coaches. There are no off-field issues or skeletons hidden in his closet. He has a quiet, yet friendly personality and is a self-starter with confidence in his ability to get the job done. He's the type of player coaches know will need no structure and is actually used as a mentor for the younger players due to his advanced maturity. Talk to coach Bruce Davis and you will hear the enthusiasm in his voice talking about what Nicks meant to the team. GRADE: 7.8
Competitiveness: Nicks is a good competitor with a strong desire to come out victorious. After never losing a game during his prep days, he knows what it takes to play with swagger. He is the type who thrives getting the ball in his hand in pressure situations. He has enough competitiveness for the position and plays with toughness, competing on every down. He plays at an even tempo and rarely gets rattled on the field. He will not hesitate to extend and sacrifice his body to make the play. Yet, he does lose points for his lack of desire and marginal aggressiveness as a blocker. GRADE: 6.3
Work Habits: Nicks applies himself in practices and games. He is a self-starter in the training room and an adequate student. He is a team leader and takes pride in that role, but is not the rah-rah type who needs to shout to get his point across. "We thought all along that Nicks was among the very special players," Davis said. "He's a fluid, talented player, and that, combined with the progress he's showing, is encouraging. He's a guy who can develop even further." GRADE: 6.9
ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 7.36
Release: Nance has adequate quickness. He is a bit long legged and needs to build to top speed, but has that stride to gobble up the cushion once he gets into gear. He won't be the type who will explode out of his stance, but he has no problems beating the press with his upper body strength and hand usage. For a player his size, he does a nice job of dropping his weight to get small working in the short areas. He won't win many long distance foot races vs. the NFL cornerbacks, but he excels at tracking down the deep ball, knowing how to get into position to make the catch without breaking stride. Even with his average quickness, he shows the elusiveness to avoid the bump-&-run coming off the line. He shows good hand usage to defeat the jam and will use his size to his advantage to gain separation, as his power and strength are some of his better assets. GRADE: 6.8
Acceleration: Nance isn't capable of simply exploding past defenders. He plays a physical game with good field savvy and shows enough deceptive speed to surprise a lethargic cornerback. He is crisp in his cuts and comes out of his breaks with no wasted motion, giving him the opportunity to separate on slants. He has that rare size and strength, along with strong hands to excel getting to the ball in a crowd. He is more of a build up speed type on deep patterns, making some scouts feel he will be best served in an intermediate game, but he sees the ball very well, showing outstanding hand/eye coordination, very good hand placement and moves well, whether left or right. He excels at making body adjustments when going up for the ball in flight. Nicks has good running numbers and shows great separation on film. GRADE: 7.1
Quickness: Nicks shows good quickness once he builds up in his stride. He has deceptive speed to eat up the cushion and looks very smooth getting into his routes. He compensates for a lack of blazing speed with his excellent body control, balance and agility to gain valid yardage after the catch. He shows good urgency coming off the snap and has very light feet, showing flashes of quickness working underneath. GRADE: 6.9
Route Running: Nicks is never going to be able to generate the explosion needed to simply separate, but he is a precise route runner who comes out of his breaks cleanly, doing a nice job of generating YAC when used on slants. For a player of his size, he gets in and out of his cuts so well, thanks to his ability to drop and sink his weight. He is shifty in the open and uses solid head and shoulder fakes to con his man on his patterns. He shows the vision and balance to come back for the ball and stay square. He is best when working on slant and option routes. His savvy moves usually gets cornerbacks to come out of their backpedal and commit too early. He gets a very good push off the defender with his hand usage. He has decent speed, but with his long stride it looks deceptive. He shows good fluid movement and the ability to accelerate out of his breaks. One of his best assets is his double-cut ability. He has no problems sinking and planting coming out of his breaks, especially on the bubble-screen, one of his best plays. GRADE: 7.8
Separation Ability: Nicks' footwork is well above average when trying to separate. He uses his power well to get a clean release and while he is not going to gobble up the cushion on every deep pattern, he has enough of a short-area burst to settle in the soft spots. Even though he does not have the ideal deep speed, he can get vertical, but is best served working on comeback routes. He shows above average sideline awareness, good alertness and field presence. He gets in and out of his breaks fluidly and shows decent ability to accelerate after the catch. GRADE: 7.4
Ball Concentration: Nicks does a nice job of maintaining focus on the ball in flight. Because he will not be able to suddenly run under every ball, maintaining position and tracking the ball is what he does best to compensate. He knows how to open up his hips and sink his pads to get to off-target throws or passes from behind him. The thing you see on film is his ability to make plays in all areas, whether fighting for the ball in the short area or to elevate and snatch the ball at its highest point. GRADE: 7.8
Ball Adjustment: Nicks is a contortionist, as he is always twisting and turning his frame to get into position to make the catch. His long arms let him adjust to the balls thrown down low and he has the extension to get to the high throws outside his frame. You can see on film that he will simply go over people to get to the ball. He is one of the better adjustors to off-line throws and also excels at coming up with the big play working in a crowd. He will sometimes body trap, but his hands are soft enough to compensate. GRADE: 7.7
Leaping Ability: Nicks shows solid leaping ability, as he has made it a regular habit to fly over defenders and get vertical to secure the ball in a crowd. He times his leaps well and has confidence in his ability to reach for the throw at the high point. He knows how to get vertical when he has to and will not hesitate to fight for a high throw. GRADE: 7.4
Hands: What separate Nicks from the other two North Carolina receivers eligible for the draft (Brooks Foster, Brandon Tate) is his natural hands. He is a natural pass catcher and keeps on getting better. His soft hands let him snatch and pluck. He also makes very good body adjustments to deliver the over-the-shoulder grabs. His concentration skills are above average and it is rare to see him drop the ball due to a lack of focus. He does a fine job of catching away from his body and is fearless going for the ball in a crowd. He does a very good job of using his frame to shield the ball from the defender. GRADE: 8.5
Run After the Catch: Nance has that raw, natural power to turn a quick slant into huge real estate. Once he gets his clean release, he is a load to bring down after the catch. He goes full speed at the defender, knowing that he can easily break arm tackles with his strength. He has that peripheral vision and feel for coverages to weave in and out of traffic. At times, he can generate enough of a big burst, especially running the flash screen. He has more than enough acceleration to pick up extra yardage and shows the body control needed to turn up field. His acceleration after the catch will regularly make the slower tacklers miss him. GRADE: 8.2
Blocking Ability: This is a hard area to gauge Nicks in. Whether it is a lack of desire or poor technique, it is rare to see him throw a block for a teammate in the open field. He will face up with aggression at the line of scrimmage, but does not always give total effort. With his size and strength, he could develop into a good position and pester-type who will stalk, but he has to become more involved in this area. GRADE: 5.4
Compares To: RODDY WHITE, Atlanta -- Actually, Hicks looks more like a smaller version of Keyshawn Johnson. He has very good power and runs precise routes, displaying some of the best hands in this draft. He won't beat a cornerback on deep patterns using pure speed, but he's a savvy route runner who is also light on his feet for a player his size.
OVERALL GRADE: 7.33
--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas.
Career Notes
Nicks started all 36 games he played in for the Tar Heels … His 181 receptions topped the old school career record of 177 grabs by Jarwarski Pollock (2001-05) and rank 13th in Atlantic Coast Conference annals … His 2,840 yards receiving broke the previous Tar Heels all-time record of 2,447 yards by Corey Holliday (1989-93) and placed Nicks 11th on the ACC career record chart … His 21 touchdown receptions bettered the old school all-time record of 19 by Octavus Barnes (1994-97) … Produced 74 receptions in 2007, topping the UNC single-season record of 71 grabs by Jarwarski Pollock in 2003 … He became the first player in school history to gain more than 1,000 yards receiving, as his 1,222 yards in 2008 topped the previous Tar Heels record of 990 yards by Sam Aiken in 2003 … His 12 touchdown grabs in 2008 broke the old school annual record of nine scoring grabs by Marcus Wall in 1994 … Registered 10 games with at least 100 yards receiving, best among active Atlantic Coast Conference players … Nicks' 217 yards receiving vs. West Virginia in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl were the second most by a Tar Heel, and he became just the third player in school history to post a 200-yard receiving game. Nicks joined Randy Marriott (247 vs. Georgia Tech in 1987) and Octavus Barnes (211 vs. Ohio in 1995).
2008 Season
All-American honorable mention by The NFL Draft Report and Rivals.com … Earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors from the league's coaches, media and Associated Press … Started all 13 games at split end, leading the team for the third consecutive year, as he caught 68 of 105 passes targeted to him (64.76 percent), setting the school single-season record with 1,222 yards (18.0 avg) and 12 touchdowns … Ranked second in the league with an average of 5.23 catches per game and led the ACC with an average of 94.0 yards receiving … 49 of-68 catches produced first downs (72.06 percent), as he converted 19 of 25 third-down tosses (76.0 percent) and all three fourth-down passes targeted to him … 45 of his receptions (66.18 percent) were good for at least 10 yards, with 23 of those grabs gaining 20 or more yards (29.41 percent) … Had key receptions that set up 19 touchdown drives and five other series that ended with field goals … Registered 43 yards with a score on seven carries (6.1 avg), adding 134 yards on seven kickoff returns (19.1 avg) … Recorded a pair of solo tackles by taking down defenders after UNC interceptions in the Virginia Tech clash … Also scored 78 points … Finished seventh in the conference with an average of 106.92 all-purpose yards per game.
2008 Game Analysis
McNeese State … Nicks opened the season by hauling down six passes for 110 yards, marking the sixth time in his career that he gained over 100 yards receiving in a game …
He also returned a 20-yard kickoff in the second quarter … In the final stanza, he snared a 71-yard seam pass from QB T.J. Yates that set up Greg Little's 5-yard touchdown run that capped a 5-play, 89-yard drive … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as two of his catches gained at least 10 yards.
Rutgers … The split end scored twice on six receptions for 63 yards … T.J. Yates found Nicks with a 9-yard scoring toss in the second quarter, followed by a third quarter 11-yard flag pass for a touchdown that concluded a 68-yard, 7-play series … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards.
Virginia Tech … Nicks followed with 51 yards on four grabs, including three for first downs, but his heads-up play prevented a pair of Tech defensive scores … Nicks' third-&-7 grab of a 16-yard pass set up a UNC 27-yard first quarter field goal … He kept a third quarter series alive with an 8-yard gain on a fourth-&-5 grab … Tech's Vic Harris picked off a Mike Paulus pass at the Tech 2, where Nicks tackled the safety with 10:42 left in the game … On the next series, Paulus was again intercepted, but Nicks stopped cornerback Stephan Virgil at the UNC 16 after a 14-yard return … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards.
Miami … Nicks amassed 133 yards on five receptions, coming up with another long distance grab to stake the Tar Heels to a 28-24 decision … With nine minutes left to play, Mike Paulus uncorked a 74-yard bomb that the split end ran under for a touchdown … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as five of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including two for 20 yards or longer.
Connecticut … Nicks was held to just three catches, but gained 55 yards, including a 13-yard fourth quarter score that capped a 7-play, 39-yard possession, as the receiver made a sensational stab along the corner boundary on a third-&-goal toss … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught two passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including one for 20 yards or longer.
Notre Dame … The junior wide-out collected his second 100-yard performance for the season, taking down a season-high nine passes for 141 yards … Nicks set up a trio of UNC field goals, as his 31-yard grab led to a 41-yard three-pointer in the first quarter, followed by a 21-yard catch that led to a 34-yard second quarter field goal and finally, his 13, 10 and 18-yarders set up an 42-yard field goal with 0:52 left before halftime … Nicks also snared a third-&-18 pass for 19 yards, setting up Ryan Houston's 1-yard scoring plunge in the third stanza … Record Watch: Nicks' 141 yards marked the eighth time in his career that the receiver gained over 100 aerial yards, a school career record … His nine catches gave him 146 for his career, moving into fifth place on the school all-time record list, as his 2,171 yards rank fourth on the career receiving chart … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught nine passes that resulted in first downs, converting 3-of-3 third-down plays, as seven of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including three for 20 yards or longer.
Virginia … Nicks turned the ball over after fumbling a reception, but also tallied 90 yards on six catches … His 21-yarder set up a 1-yard scoring run by tailback Ryan Houston in the first quarter … 15, 10 and 23-yard receptions in the fourth quarter set up UNC's 40-yard field goal that staked the team to a 10-3 lead with 2:22 left in regulation … Record Watch: Nicks moved to fourth place on the school career record list with 152 catches and now ranks third with 2,261 yards receiving … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-3 third-down plays, as four of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including two for 20 yards or longer.
Boston College … The offense woke up in the second quarter, led by Nicks' three touch-down catches for a 45-24 triumph … He finished with 139 yards on eight catches, adding 31 yards and a score on three carries … QB Cameron Sexton located the split end with a 26-yard scoring strike to start the second frame action … With 2:17 left in the half, Nicks had a 40-yard touchdown catch. UNC got the ball back from an onside kick and Nicks quickly converted a 43-yard pass into another score to see the Tar Heels go to the locker room at halftime with a 24-17 lead … In the fourth quarter, he capped a 66-yard, 10-play series by taking a reverse 12 yards for a touchdown … Record Watch: Nicks' 139 yards gave him 2,400 aerial yards for his career, ranking second in school history … His three touchdown catches were one shy of the school single-game record of four scoring grabs by Chesley Borders vs. Arizona State in 2002 … With his fourth quarter scoring scamper, he became the first Tar Heel to score four times in a game since tailback Ronnie McGill scored four times vs. Furman in 2006 … Asked to describe Nicks' performance after the game, head coach Butch Davis said, "I think fantastic would maybe describe it. He is one of the unique, special guys I have seen that the bigger the moment, the bigger the stage the better he plays. He is such a fierce warrior. He just catches the ball so well. He has got great concentration. There are a lot of guys who can catch the ball on the perimeter. But if you watch over his three-year career there are balls that he has to catch where there are safeties and middle linebackers over the middle and his run after the catch is extremely strong. He is just a very good football player." … QB Cameron Sexton chimed in, "That kid is unbelievable. I mean me and Hakeem have always had kind of a special bond, and I just know I have to get him the ball. I think he's got a pretty good idea of how good he's going to get. Like I've always said all year, and I'll say it through my entire career here - all I got to be is the middle man and just be efficient and not make mistakes, get those guys the ball. Those three touchdowns, maybe on one of them I worked the pocket pretty good, but other than that it was all Hakeem." … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 0-of-0 third-down plays, as five of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including three for 20 yards or longer.
Georgia Tech … With the loss of fellow receiver Brandon Tate with a season-ending injury, Nicks scored once on three catches for 72 yards to pick up the slack, leading UNC to a 28-7 win … The split end was held to no receptions in the first half, but when it counted most, he came up with a fourth-&-2 31-yard touchdown catch that sealed the 28-7 victory with 4:11 left in the contest … After the game, head coach Butch Davis stated, "Hakeem Nicks is one of the best, big stage players I've ever been around. He loves to compete. He loves to play. What the fans and the media sees on Saturday is just a minor glimpse into what we see during the week. Every single day during practice, he runs his routes like that, he makes circus catches. He's a great leader." … Record Watch: Nicks' 72 yards gave him 2,472 for his career, moving ahead of Corey Holliday (2,447 yards, 1989-93) to become the school's career record-holder … His scoring grab was the 17th for his career, good for third on UNC's all-time record chart … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-1 third-down plays and 1-of-1 fourth-down snaps, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including two for 20 yards or longer.
Maryland … The junior split end made three catches for 57 yards, setting up a first quarter 38-yard field goal with a 26-yard reception … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
North Carolina State … Nicks fumbled once after a reception, but also caught four passes for 56 yards … Record Watch: Nicks' four receptions gave him 170 for his career, seven short of the school all-time record of 177 by Jarwarski Pollock (2002-05) … .Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-2 third-down plays and 1-of-1 fourth-down snaps, as two of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
Duke … Nicks grabbed three passes for 38 yards that included a 25-yard touchdown that ended a 15-play, 80-yard second quarter possession … Record Watch: Nicks became the first player in school history to gain over 1,000 yards receiving in a season, breaking the old school annual record of 990 yards by Sam Aiken in 2002 … His scoring catch gave him nine for the year, tying the school single-season record that was first set by Marcus Wall in 1994 … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught two passes that resulted in first downs, converting 0-of-1 third-down plays, as one of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
West Virginia (Meineke Car Care Bowl) … Not even Hollywood could script a better ending to a collegiate career. Nicks hauled in eight passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns … His first score was the most bizarre. QB T.J. Yates' deep heave over the middle was under-thrown and nearly intercepted by Ellis Lankster, but the ball went through his hands and Nicks caught it behind him, then started to celebrate about 15 yards shy of the end zone. That allowed Keith Tandy to catch up, but Nicks wrestled away from him for the 73-yard touchdown, his school-record 10th of the season … Three minutes later, Nicks caught a 66-yard touchdown pass from receiver Cooter Arnold on a trick play, setting North Carolina's career touchdown record with his 20th … Nicks' 25-yard scoring catch from Yates early in the second quarter was his 178th career reception - another school record - and gave North Carolina a 23-21 lead … Record Watch: Saturday was a record-setting performance for Charlotte native Hakeem Nicks, who finished with eight catches for a career-best 217 yards and three touchdowns. In the process, Nicks became the sole owner of Carolina records for career receptions, career touchdown receptions, single-season touchdown receptions, bowl game receiving yards and bowl game receiving touchdowns - all in the first half. Nicks now holds 14 UNC receiving records … Nicks' 217 yards receiving were the second most by a Tar Heel, and he became just the third player in school history to post a 200-yard receiving game. Nicks joined Randy Marriott (247 vs. Georgia Tech in 1987) and Octavus Barnes (211 vs. Ohio in 1995) … With first-half scoring catches of 73, 66 and 25 yards, Nicks established Carolina season and career touchdown reception records. His twelve touchdowns in 2008 and 21 for his career moved him past the 19 scores Octavus Barnes pulled down from 1994-97 … Nicks entered the game tied with Marcus Wall (1994) with nine touchdown grabs in a season … The third touchdown catch of the first half by Nicks was the 178th reception of his career to give him the UNC career reception record. With the grab, he moved past Jarwarski Pollock, who caught 177 balls between 2001-05. Nicks holds UNC records for receptions (181), receiving yardage (2,840) and receiving touchdowns (21) … With his 217 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, Nicks broke a pair of UNC bowl game records. Octavus Barnes held the school record with 165 yards in the 1994 Sun Bowl against Texas. Ted Leverenz (vs. Texas Tech, 1972 Sun Bowl) and Barnes (vs. Virginia Tech, 1998 Gator Bowl) shared the previous UNC record with two TD catches in a bowl … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught six passes that resulted in first downs, converting 3-of-3 third-down plays, as four of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
2007 Season
All-American honorable mention by The NFL Draft Report, adding All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors … Started all twelve games at split end, missing the bulk of the second half vs. South Carolina with a high ankle sprain … Still managed to lead the team and set a school single-season record with 74 receptions, as his 958 yards (12.9 avg) rank third on UNC's annual record chart … Scored five times and carried once for a 1-yard loss …
Ranked third in the league with an average of 6.17 receptions per game, as he also placed second with an average of 79.83 aerial yards.
2007 Game Analysis
Hauled in six passes for 77 yards and a score vs. East Carolina … Gained 113 yards on seven receptions that also produced a pair of scores vs. Virginia … Made eight catches for 94 yards vs. Virginia Tech and followed with 76 yards on five grabs in the Miami clash, a game where he executed a devastating block that leveled two Hurricanes on a 54-yard reverse by fellow receiver Brandon Tate … Despite suffering an ankle sprain, Nicks made eight catches for 114 yards vs. South Carolina … He added nine receptions for 87 yards vs. Wake Forest and totaled 88 yards on eight grabs that included a 30-yard game-winning touchdown in a 16-13 decision over Maryland … Snared five passes for 56 yards vs. North Carolina State and tallied a season-high 162 yards on seven receptions and a 14-yard score in the Georgia Tech game … Closed out the season with six catches for 38 yards vs. Duke.
2006 Season
Freshman All-ACC first-team choice by The Gridiron Report … Started eleven games as a true freshman, sitting out the South Florida contest with an ankle sprain … Led the team with 39 receptions for 660 yards (16.9 avg), both school single-season records for freshman, as he also tallied four touchdowns … Added 10 yards on a reverse, two solo tackles and 101 yards on five kickoff returns (20.2 avg) … Averaged 70.09 all-purpose yards per game …
Ranked eighth in the ACC with an average of 3.55 receptions and third with an average of 60.0 yards receiving per game.
2006 Game Analysis
Nicks began his career with 63 yards and a score on seven catches vs. Rutgers … Snatched six passes for a then career-high 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns vs. Notre Dame … Had seven grabs for 117 yards and a career-long 83-yard score to give UNC a 45-44 win over Duke in the season finale.
Injury Report
2006: Sat out the South Florida game (10/18) with an ankle sprain.
2007: Missed part of the second half of the South Carolina clash (10/13) with a high ankle sprain.
Agility Tests
Campus: 10'0" broad jump … 4.02 20-yard shuttle … 6.93 three-cone drill … Bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times.
Combine: 4.51 in the 40-yard dash … 1.52 10-yard dash … 2.6 20-yard dash … 36-inch vertical jump. Did not participate in jumps, shuttle runs and 225-pound bench press after suffering a hamstring strain.
GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 7.2
Body Structure: Nicks has a well-built frame with good arm length, tight abdomen, thick thighs and well-developed calves. He shows good upper body muscle definition, especially in his chest and shoulders. He has toned arms, long torso and good flexibility, balance and knee bend.
Athletic Ability: Nicks lacks blazing speed, but it is rare to see him struggle vs. the jam as he has more than enough power and good hand usage to get a clean release off the snap. He shows excellent balance and crisp cutting ability, demonstrating the agility and flexibility to make adjustments in his route without having to throttle down. He has very good body control, doing a nice job of settling in the soft areas and displays the vision and burst to come back when the pocket is pressured. He is effective when used on the reverse, keeping his pads down to drive hard with his legs in attempts to break arm tackles. He is a bit of a long strider, but shows above average foot quickness in his patterns. He is fluid in his movements and has sharp stop-and-go action. GRADE: 7.7
Football Sense: Nicks only needs normal reps to learn and retain plays. He shows good awareness and instincts and understands the game and coverages. He adjusts well on the move and has no problems dealing with classroom work. When he gets open, he knows what his job is - to move the chains. GRADE: 7.3
Character: Nicks is highly respected, considered a good guy and is highly recommended by his coaches. There are no off-field issues or skeletons hidden in his closet. He has a quiet, yet friendly personality and is a self-starter with confidence in his ability to get the job done. He's the type of player coaches know will need no structure and is actually used as a mentor for the younger players due to his advanced maturity. Talk to coach Bruce Davis and you will hear the enthusiasm in his voice talking about what Nicks meant to the team. GRADE: 7.8
Competitiveness: Nicks is a good competitor with a strong desire to come out victorious. After never losing a game during his prep days, he knows what it takes to play with swagger. He is the type who thrives getting the ball in his hand in pressure situations. He has enough competitiveness for the position and plays with toughness, competing on every down. He plays at an even tempo and rarely gets rattled on the field. He will not hesitate to extend and sacrifice his body to make the play. Yet, he does lose points for his lack of desire and marginal aggressiveness as a blocker. GRADE: 6.3
Work Habits: Nicks applies himself in practices and games. He is a self-starter in the training room and an adequate student. He is a team leader and takes pride in that role, but is not the rah-rah type who needs to shout to get his point across. "We thought all along that Nicks was among the very special players," Davis said. "He's a fluid, talented player, and that, combined with the progress he's showing, is encouraging. He's a guy who can develop even further." GRADE: 6.9
ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 7.36
Release: Nance has adequate quickness. He is a bit long legged and needs to build to top speed, but has that stride to gobble up the cushion once he gets into gear. He won't be the type who will explode out of his stance, but he has no problems beating the press with his upper body strength and hand usage. For a player his size, he does a nice job of dropping his weight to get small working in the short areas. He won't win many long distance foot races vs. the NFL cornerbacks, but he excels at tracking down the deep ball, knowing how to get into position to make the catch without breaking stride. Even with his average quickness, he shows the elusiveness to avoid the bump-&-run coming off the line. He shows good hand usage to defeat the jam and will use his size to his advantage to gain separation, as his power and strength are some of his better assets. GRADE: 6.8
Acceleration: Nance isn't capable of simply exploding past defenders. He plays a physical game with good field savvy and shows enough deceptive speed to surprise a lethargic cornerback. He is crisp in his cuts and comes out of his breaks with no wasted motion, giving him the opportunity to separate on slants. He has that rare size and strength, along with strong hands to excel getting to the ball in a crowd. He is more of a build up speed type on deep patterns, making some scouts feel he will be best served in an intermediate game, but he sees the ball very well, showing outstanding hand/eye coordination, very good hand placement and moves well, whether left or right. He excels at making body adjustments when going up for the ball in flight. Nicks has good running numbers and shows great separation on film. GRADE: 7.1
Quickness: Nicks shows good quickness once he builds up in his stride. He has deceptive speed to eat up the cushion and looks very smooth getting into his routes. He compensates for a lack of blazing speed with his excellent body control, balance and agility to gain valid yardage after the catch. He shows good urgency coming off the snap and has very light feet, showing flashes of quickness working underneath. GRADE: 6.9
Route Running: Nicks is never going to be able to generate the explosion needed to simply separate, but he is a precise route runner who comes out of his breaks cleanly, doing a nice job of generating YAC when used on slants. For a player of his size, he gets in and out of his cuts so well, thanks to his ability to drop and sink his weight. He is shifty in the open and uses solid head and shoulder fakes to con his man on his patterns. He shows the vision and balance to come back for the ball and stay square. He is best when working on slant and option routes. His savvy moves usually gets cornerbacks to come out of their backpedal and commit too early. He gets a very good push off the defender with his hand usage. He has decent speed, but with his long stride it looks deceptive. He shows good fluid movement and the ability to accelerate out of his breaks. One of his best assets is his double-cut ability. He has no problems sinking and planting coming out of his breaks, especially on the bubble-screen, one of his best plays. GRADE: 7.8
Separation Ability: Nicks' footwork is well above average when trying to separate. He uses his power well to get a clean release and while he is not going to gobble up the cushion on every deep pattern, he has enough of a short-area burst to settle in the soft spots. Even though he does not have the ideal deep speed, he can get vertical, but is best served working on comeback routes. He shows above average sideline awareness, good alertness and field presence. He gets in and out of his breaks fluidly and shows decent ability to accelerate after the catch. GRADE: 7.4
Ball Concentration: Nicks does a nice job of maintaining focus on the ball in flight. Because he will not be able to suddenly run under every ball, maintaining position and tracking the ball is what he does best to compensate. He knows how to open up his hips and sink his pads to get to off-target throws or passes from behind him. The thing you see on film is his ability to make plays in all areas, whether fighting for the ball in the short area or to elevate and snatch the ball at its highest point. GRADE: 7.8
Ball Adjustment: Nicks is a contortionist, as he is always twisting and turning his frame to get into position to make the catch. His long arms let him adjust to the balls thrown down low and he has the extension to get to the high throws outside his frame. You can see on film that he will simply go over people to get to the ball. He is one of the better adjustors to off-line throws and also excels at coming up with the big play working in a crowd. He will sometimes body trap, but his hands are soft enough to compensate. GRADE: 7.7
Leaping Ability: Nicks shows solid leaping ability, as he has made it a regular habit to fly over defenders and get vertical to secure the ball in a crowd. He times his leaps well and has confidence in his ability to reach for the throw at the high point. He knows how to get vertical when he has to and will not hesitate to fight for a high throw. GRADE: 7.4
Hands: What separate Nicks from the other two North Carolina receivers eligible for the draft (Brooks Foster, Brandon Tate) is his natural hands. He is a natural pass catcher and keeps on getting better. His soft hands let him snatch and pluck. He also makes very good body adjustments to deliver the over-the-shoulder grabs. His concentration skills are above average and it is rare to see him drop the ball due to a lack of focus. He does a fine job of catching away from his body and is fearless going for the ball in a crowd. He does a very good job of using his frame to shield the ball from the defender. GRADE: 8.5
Run After the Catch: Nance has that raw, natural power to turn a quick slant into huge real estate. Once he gets his clean release, he is a load to bring down after the catch. He goes full speed at the defender, knowing that he can easily break arm tackles with his strength. He has that peripheral vision and feel for coverages to weave in and out of traffic. At times, he can generate enough of a big burst, especially running the flash screen. He has more than enough acceleration to pick up extra yardage and shows the body control needed to turn up field. His acceleration after the catch will regularly make the slower tacklers miss him. GRADE: 8.2
Blocking Ability: This is a hard area to gauge Nicks in. Whether it is a lack of desire or poor technique, it is rare to see him throw a block for a teammate in the open field. He will face up with aggression at the line of scrimmage, but does not always give total effort. With his size and strength, he could develop into a good position and pester-type who will stalk, but he has to become more involved in this area. GRADE: 5.4
Compares To: RODDY WHITE, Atlanta -- Actually, Hicks looks more like a smaller version of Keyshawn Johnson. He has very good power and runs precise routes, displaying some of the best hands in this draft. He won't beat a cornerback on deep patterns using pure speed, but he's a savvy route runner who is also light on his feet for a player his size.
OVERALL GRADE: 7.33
--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas.
Career Notes
Nicks started all 36 games he played in for the Tar Heels … His 181 receptions topped the old school career record of 177 grabs by Jarwarski Pollock (2001-05) and rank 13th in Atlantic Coast Conference annals … His 2,840 yards receiving broke the previous Tar Heels all-time record of 2,447 yards by Corey Holliday (1989-93) and placed Nicks 11th on the ACC career record chart … His 21 touchdown receptions bettered the old school all-time record of 19 by Octavus Barnes (1994-97) … Produced 74 receptions in 2007, topping the UNC single-season record of 71 grabs by Jarwarski Pollock in 2003 … He became the first player in school history to gain more than 1,000 yards receiving, as his 1,222 yards in 2008 topped the previous Tar Heels record of 990 yards by Sam Aiken in 2003 … His 12 touchdown grabs in 2008 broke the old school annual record of nine scoring grabs by Marcus Wall in 1994 … Registered 10 games with at least 100 yards receiving, best among active Atlantic Coast Conference players … Nicks' 217 yards receiving vs. West Virginia in the 2009 Meineke Car Care Bowl were the second most by a Tar Heel, and he became just the third player in school history to post a 200-yard receiving game. Nicks joined Randy Marriott (247 vs. Georgia Tech in 1987) and Octavus Barnes (211 vs. Ohio in 1995).
2008 Season
All-American honorable mention by The NFL Draft Report and Rivals.com … Earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors from the league's coaches, media and Associated Press … Started all 13 games at split end, leading the team for the third consecutive year, as he caught 68 of 105 passes targeted to him (64.76 percent), setting the school single-season record with 1,222 yards (18.0 avg) and 12 touchdowns … Ranked second in the league with an average of 5.23 catches per game and led the ACC with an average of 94.0 yards receiving … 49 of-68 catches produced first downs (72.06 percent), as he converted 19 of 25 third-down tosses (76.0 percent) and all three fourth-down passes targeted to him … 45 of his receptions (66.18 percent) were good for at least 10 yards, with 23 of those grabs gaining 20 or more yards (29.41 percent) … Had key receptions that set up 19 touchdown drives and five other series that ended with field goals … Registered 43 yards with a score on seven carries (6.1 avg), adding 134 yards on seven kickoff returns (19.1 avg) … Recorded a pair of solo tackles by taking down defenders after UNC interceptions in the Virginia Tech clash … Also scored 78 points … Finished seventh in the conference with an average of 106.92 all-purpose yards per game.
2008 Game Analysis
McNeese State … Nicks opened the season by hauling down six passes for 110 yards, marking the sixth time in his career that he gained over 100 yards receiving in a game …
He also returned a 20-yard kickoff in the second quarter … In the final stanza, he snared a 71-yard seam pass from QB T.J. Yates that set up Greg Little's 5-yard touchdown run that capped a 5-play, 89-yard drive … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as two of his catches gained at least 10 yards.
Rutgers … The split end scored twice on six receptions for 63 yards … T.J. Yates found Nicks with a 9-yard scoring toss in the second quarter, followed by a third quarter 11-yard flag pass for a touchdown that concluded a 68-yard, 7-play series … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards.
Virginia Tech … Nicks followed with 51 yards on four grabs, including three for first downs, but his heads-up play prevented a pair of Tech defensive scores … Nicks' third-&-7 grab of a 16-yard pass set up a UNC 27-yard first quarter field goal … He kept a third quarter series alive with an 8-yard gain on a fourth-&-5 grab … Tech's Vic Harris picked off a Mike Paulus pass at the Tech 2, where Nicks tackled the safety with 10:42 left in the game … On the next series, Paulus was again intercepted, but Nicks stopped cornerback Stephan Virgil at the UNC 16 after a 14-yard return … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards.
Miami … Nicks amassed 133 yards on five receptions, coming up with another long distance grab to stake the Tar Heels to a 28-24 decision … With nine minutes left to play, Mike Paulus uncorked a 74-yard bomb that the split end ran under for a touchdown … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as five of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including two for 20 yards or longer.
Connecticut … Nicks was held to just three catches, but gained 55 yards, including a 13-yard fourth quarter score that capped a 7-play, 39-yard possession, as the receiver made a sensational stab along the corner boundary on a third-&-goal toss … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught two passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including one for 20 yards or longer.
Notre Dame … The junior wide-out collected his second 100-yard performance for the season, taking down a season-high nine passes for 141 yards … Nicks set up a trio of UNC field goals, as his 31-yard grab led to a 41-yard three-pointer in the first quarter, followed by a 21-yard catch that led to a 34-yard second quarter field goal and finally, his 13, 10 and 18-yarders set up an 42-yard field goal with 0:52 left before halftime … Nicks also snared a third-&-18 pass for 19 yards, setting up Ryan Houston's 1-yard scoring plunge in the third stanza … Record Watch: Nicks' 141 yards marked the eighth time in his career that the receiver gained over 100 aerial yards, a school career record … His nine catches gave him 146 for his career, moving into fifth place on the school all-time record list, as his 2,171 yards rank fourth on the career receiving chart … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught nine passes that resulted in first downs, converting 3-of-3 third-down plays, as seven of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including three for 20 yards or longer.
Virginia … Nicks turned the ball over after fumbling a reception, but also tallied 90 yards on six catches … His 21-yarder set up a 1-yard scoring run by tailback Ryan Houston in the first quarter … 15, 10 and 23-yard receptions in the fourth quarter set up UNC's 40-yard field goal that staked the team to a 10-3 lead with 2:22 left in regulation … Record Watch: Nicks moved to fourth place on the school career record list with 152 catches and now ranks third with 2,261 yards receiving … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-3 third-down plays, as four of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including two for 20 yards or longer.
Boston College … The offense woke up in the second quarter, led by Nicks' three touch-down catches for a 45-24 triumph … He finished with 139 yards on eight catches, adding 31 yards and a score on three carries … QB Cameron Sexton located the split end with a 26-yard scoring strike to start the second frame action … With 2:17 left in the half, Nicks had a 40-yard touchdown catch. UNC got the ball back from an onside kick and Nicks quickly converted a 43-yard pass into another score to see the Tar Heels go to the locker room at halftime with a 24-17 lead … In the fourth quarter, he capped a 66-yard, 10-play series by taking a reverse 12 yards for a touchdown … Record Watch: Nicks' 139 yards gave him 2,400 aerial yards for his career, ranking second in school history … His three touchdown catches were one shy of the school single-game record of four scoring grabs by Chesley Borders vs. Arizona State in 2002 … With his fourth quarter scoring scamper, he became the first Tar Heel to score four times in a game since tailback Ronnie McGill scored four times vs. Furman in 2006 … Asked to describe Nicks' performance after the game, head coach Butch Davis said, "I think fantastic would maybe describe it. He is one of the unique, special guys I have seen that the bigger the moment, the bigger the stage the better he plays. He is such a fierce warrior. He just catches the ball so well. He has got great concentration. There are a lot of guys who can catch the ball on the perimeter. But if you watch over his three-year career there are balls that he has to catch where there are safeties and middle linebackers over the middle and his run after the catch is extremely strong. He is just a very good football player." … QB Cameron Sexton chimed in, "That kid is unbelievable. I mean me and Hakeem have always had kind of a special bond, and I just know I have to get him the ball. I think he's got a pretty good idea of how good he's going to get. Like I've always said all year, and I'll say it through my entire career here - all I got to be is the middle man and just be efficient and not make mistakes, get those guys the ball. Those three touchdowns, maybe on one of them I worked the pocket pretty good, but other than that it was all Hakeem." … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught four passes that resulted in first downs, converting 0-of-0 third-down plays, as five of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including three for 20 yards or longer.
Georgia Tech … With the loss of fellow receiver Brandon Tate with a season-ending injury, Nicks scored once on three catches for 72 yards to pick up the slack, leading UNC to a 28-7 win … The split end was held to no receptions in the first half, but when it counted most, he came up with a fourth-&-2 31-yard touchdown catch that sealed the 28-7 victory with 4:11 left in the contest … After the game, head coach Butch Davis stated, "Hakeem Nicks is one of the best, big stage players I've ever been around. He loves to compete. He loves to play. What the fans and the media sees on Saturday is just a minor glimpse into what we see during the week. Every single day during practice, he runs his routes like that, he makes circus catches. He's a great leader." … Record Watch: Nicks' 72 yards gave him 2,472 for his career, moving ahead of Corey Holliday (2,447 yards, 1989-93) to become the school's career record-holder … His scoring grab was the 17th for his career, good for third on UNC's all-time record chart … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-1 third-down plays and 1-of-1 fourth-down snaps, as three of his catches gained at least 10 yards, including two for 20 yards or longer.
Maryland … The junior split end made three catches for 57 yards, setting up a first quarter 38-yard field goal with a 26-yard reception … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 1-of-2 third-down plays, as three of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
North Carolina State … Nicks fumbled once after a reception, but also caught four passes for 56 yards … Record Watch: Nicks' four receptions gave him 170 for his career, seven short of the school all-time record of 177 by Jarwarski Pollock (2002-05) … .Offensive Impact: Nicks caught three passes that resulted in first downs, converting 2-of-2 third-down plays and 1-of-1 fourth-down snaps, as two of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
Duke … Nicks grabbed three passes for 38 yards that included a 25-yard touchdown that ended a 15-play, 80-yard second quarter possession … Record Watch: Nicks became the first player in school history to gain over 1,000 yards receiving in a season, breaking the old school annual record of 990 yards by Sam Aiken in 2002 … His scoring catch gave him nine for the year, tying the school single-season record that was first set by Marcus Wall in 1994 … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught two passes that resulted in first downs, converting 0-of-1 third-down plays, as one of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
West Virginia (Meineke Car Care Bowl) … Not even Hollywood could script a better ending to a collegiate career. Nicks hauled in eight passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns … His first score was the most bizarre. QB T.J. Yates' deep heave over the middle was under-thrown and nearly intercepted by Ellis Lankster, but the ball went through his hands and Nicks caught it behind him, then started to celebrate about 15 yards shy of the end zone. That allowed Keith Tandy to catch up, but Nicks wrestled away from him for the 73-yard touchdown, his school-record 10th of the season … Three minutes later, Nicks caught a 66-yard touchdown pass from receiver Cooter Arnold on a trick play, setting North Carolina's career touchdown record with his 20th … Nicks' 25-yard scoring catch from Yates early in the second quarter was his 178th career reception - another school record - and gave North Carolina a 23-21 lead … Record Watch: Saturday was a record-setting performance for Charlotte native Hakeem Nicks, who finished with eight catches for a career-best 217 yards and three touchdowns. In the process, Nicks became the sole owner of Carolina records for career receptions, career touchdown receptions, single-season touchdown receptions, bowl game receiving yards and bowl game receiving touchdowns - all in the first half. Nicks now holds 14 UNC receiving records … Nicks' 217 yards receiving were the second most by a Tar Heel, and he became just the third player in school history to post a 200-yard receiving game. Nicks joined Randy Marriott (247 vs. Georgia Tech in 1987) and Octavus Barnes (211 vs. Ohio in 1995) … With first-half scoring catches of 73, 66 and 25 yards, Nicks established Carolina season and career touchdown reception records. His twelve touchdowns in 2008 and 21 for his career moved him past the 19 scores Octavus Barnes pulled down from 1994-97 … Nicks entered the game tied with Marcus Wall (1994) with nine touchdown grabs in a season … The third touchdown catch of the first half by Nicks was the 178th reception of his career to give him the UNC career reception record. With the grab, he moved past Jarwarski Pollock, who caught 177 balls between 2001-05. Nicks holds UNC records for receptions (181), receiving yardage (2,840) and receiving touchdowns (21) … With his 217 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns, Nicks broke a pair of UNC bowl game records. Octavus Barnes held the school record with 165 yards in the 1994 Sun Bowl against Texas. Ted Leverenz (vs. Texas Tech, 1972 Sun Bowl) and Barnes (vs. Virginia Tech, 1998 Gator Bowl) shared the previous UNC record with two TD catches in a bowl … Offensive Impact: Nicks caught six passes that resulted in first downs, converting 3-of-3 third-down plays, as four of his catches gained at least 20 yards.
2007 Season
All-American honorable mention by The NFL Draft Report, adding All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors … Started all twelve games at split end, missing the bulk of the second half vs. South Carolina with a high ankle sprain … Still managed to lead the team and set a school single-season record with 74 receptions, as his 958 yards (12.9 avg) rank third on UNC's annual record chart … Scored five times and carried once for a 1-yard loss …
Ranked third in the league with an average of 6.17 receptions per game, as he also placed second with an average of 79.83 aerial yards.
2007 Game Analysis
Hauled in six passes for 77 yards and a score vs. East Carolina … Gained 113 yards on seven receptions that also produced a pair of scores vs. Virginia … Made eight catches for 94 yards vs. Virginia Tech and followed with 76 yards on five grabs in the Miami clash, a game where he executed a devastating block that leveled two Hurricanes on a 54-yard reverse by fellow receiver Brandon Tate … Despite suffering an ankle sprain, Nicks made eight catches for 114 yards vs. South Carolina … He added nine receptions for 87 yards vs. Wake Forest and totaled 88 yards on eight grabs that included a 30-yard game-winning touchdown in a 16-13 decision over Maryland … Snared five passes for 56 yards vs. North Carolina State and tallied a season-high 162 yards on seven receptions and a 14-yard score in the Georgia Tech game … Closed out the season with six catches for 38 yards vs. Duke.
2006 Season
Freshman All-ACC first-team choice by The Gridiron Report … Started eleven games as a true freshman, sitting out the South Florida contest with an ankle sprain … Led the team with 39 receptions for 660 yards (16.9 avg), both school single-season records for freshman, as he also tallied four touchdowns … Added 10 yards on a reverse, two solo tackles and 101 yards on five kickoff returns (20.2 avg) … Averaged 70.09 all-purpose yards per game …
Ranked eighth in the ACC with an average of 3.55 receptions and third with an average of 60.0 yards receiving per game.
2006 Game Analysis
Nicks began his career with 63 yards and a score on seven catches vs. Rutgers … Snatched six passes for a then career-high 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns vs. Notre Dame … Had seven grabs for 117 yards and a career-long 83-yard score to give UNC a 45-44 win over Duke in the season finale.
Injury Report
2006: Sat out the South Florida game (10/18) with an ankle sprain.
2007: Missed part of the second half of the South Carolina clash (10/13) with a high ankle sprain.
Agility Tests
Campus: 10'0" broad jump … 4.02 20-yard shuttle … 6.93 three-cone drill … Bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times.
Combine: 4.51 in the 40-yard dash … 1.52 10-yard dash … 2.6 20-yard dash … 36-inch vertical jump. Did not participate in jumps, shuttle runs and 225-pound bench press after suffering a hamstring strain.
9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN THE PAST 35 SEASONS
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Chifaninca
- Journeyman
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So G08,
are you telling us that you want the Bears to draft him?
LOL.
Not a bad choice at all, but I doubt it happens without a trade down first. Angelo should always trade down.
are you telling us that you want the Bears to draft him?
LOL.
Not a bad choice at all, but I doubt it happens without a trade down first. Angelo should always trade down.
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G08
- Hall of Famer
- Posts: 20673
- Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 12:34 pm
- Location: Football Hell
- Has thanked: 235 times
- Been thanked: 815 times
Borderline obsessed, I know 
I want this guy as a BEAR!
In all honesty, I'm slowly working on compiling as much info as I can on potential first round picks for our team, this way for those who are interested they can start looking/reading about potential guys and get more/less excited as the draft goes on and their favorites remain or get drafted.
I want this guy as a BEAR!
In all honesty, I'm slowly working on compiling as much info as I can on potential first round picks for our team, this way for those who are interested they can start looking/reading about potential guys and get more/less excited as the draft goes on and their favorites remain or get drafted.
9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN THE PAST 35 SEASONS
