Perhaps the Los Angeles Rams held off going after a big-name wide receiver in free agency because quarterback Jared Goff knows a big-name college wide receiver might be available in the NFL Draft.
California’s Chad Hansen, virtually ignored coming out of Moorpark (Calif.) High School, some 11 miles north of Thousand Oaks, has spent the last eight months making a name for himself, according to the Orange County Register.
Hansen was one of the leading receiver in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision in 2016, hauling down 92 receptions (good for third in the FBS) for 1,249 yards (17th) with 11 touchdowns. His average receiving yards per game (124.9) ranked fourth.
Not bad for a kid who started his collegiate career at Idaho State because he failed to land a scholarship offer from any Division I-A school.
Hansen posted 45 receptions for 501 yards his freshman year with the Bengals before walking on at Cal in 2015. But even as Hansen looked for interested schools, one Arizona State coach told him he should stay at Idaho State.
“It’s definitely something that drives me through each and every day,” Hansen told the Orange County Register of the coach who told him he wasn’t FBS-caliber. “I’d like to say I play with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.”
When he arrived at Cal, the Bears then had a quarterback by the name of Goff.
Getting his feet wet in the FBS, Hansen had 19 receptions for 249 yards and one score. Goff went on to the Rams as the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, and Hansen built a rapport with new Cal QB Davis Webb.
After his breakout junior season last year, Hansen decided to enter the NFL Draft, and his value has been ascending ever since. He is the No. 48 prospect, according to NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah:
Hansen started one season at wide receiver after transferring from Idaho State. He has a tall, lean build and outstanding play speed. This is a pure vertical receiver. He is sudden in his release, stacks on top of cornerbacks and tracks the ball naturally. He can find a second gear when the ball is in the air. He does have some trouble getting off press coverage at times and he wasn’t asked to run the entire route tree at Cal. He will need some time to develop, but I love his size, speed and ball skills.
The Rams don’t have a pick until the second round, with the 37th overall pick. They still have a need at wideout, which the 6-foot-2 Hansen could fill. Nicely.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
