He’s not getting the publicity that the Crabtree, Maclin, and Harvin are getting, but Hakeem Nicks may be the most NFL ready of any receiver in this draft. Nicks isn’t the flashy return man or the dominant deep threat, but his great route running, reliable hands, and overall receiving ability could make him a steal for a team.
Nicks was anything but unproductive in college. Although he had to share receptions with fellow NFL worthy receivers Brooks Foster and Brandon Tate, Nicks still was able to be one of the best pro-style offense receivers in the country. He grabbed 74 receptions and just under 1,000 in his junior season, but went on to explode for his senior year. He finished with 1,222 yards and 12 scores while averaging 18 yards a reception. He finished his career at UNC with two All-ACC 1st team honors and  numerous records held in the schools history.

Strengths:
Nick’s hands and route running skills, two attributes sometimes over looked by the stop watch enthused fans, may be the best of this draft. He runs extremely precise routes, whether it’s the deep posts, the quick outs, or the drag routes between the linebackers, Nicks rarely “dogs” it. Her also has great body control and can go vertical for a grab as well as making the tiptoe catches along the sideline. He also is ok with going across the middle and is willing to take a hit. Finally, he has good awareness and seems to understand the defenses as he’s picking them apart, and shows great competitiveness consistently.

Weaknesses:
Nicks doesn’t have the wowing speed or quickness that some of the other prospects in this draft feature. He’s not going to burn a corner deep on a consistent basis, and even after he makes the catch, he doesn’t have the shiftiness to be a great after the catch receiver immediately. He also has suffered through some inconsistency issues, but that may be credit to the two other NFL worthy receivers on that team as well as using the tight ends and backs as receivers as well.

Being a receiver in the pros isn’t all about deep speed or ankle-breaking quickness, and Nicks features the real attributes to be a successful receiver from day one. He doesn’t have the upside that the other top receivers have in this class, but he could amount to an Anquan Boldin-type career and he should make an instant impact on his team in 2010. Look for him to make his way up draft boards because of his low bust potential, and will probably go somewhere between pick 25 and 50.

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