NFL Draft: Bengals Steal Arkansas’ Cobi Hamilton in 6th-Round
By Jason Marcum
Nov 23, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Cobi Hamilton (11) walks off the field following a game against the Louisiana State Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Stadium. LSU defeated Arkansas 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
With the 197th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted receiver Cobi Hamilton out of Arkansas. After being a backup for most of his college career,Hamilton exploded this past season on the way to becoming the Razorback’s best offensive weapon as he caught 90 balls for 1,335 yards (14.8 YPC) and five touchdowns.
So with the 2 picks that the Bengals got for Chad Johnson/Ochocinco, they took receivers -- Marvin Jones last year and Cobi Hamilton now
— Joe Reedy (@joereedy) April 27, 2013
"STRENGTHSBig target with a well-built frame who projects as a potential outside starter. Uses his body to get position on his man on inside routes. Displays an extra gear once he gets the ball in his hands. Physical after the catch, showing the ability to break arm tackles. Flashes a quick move after the catch and the balance to leave a leaning cornerback behind, can also stiff-arm smaller defensive backs trying to wrap him up in space. Will through jams at the line of scrimmage, but still needs to improve in this area. Sharp cuts on inside breaking routes at the top of his stem. Adjust well to the flight path of the ball in the air. Should only improve his overall skill set with more opportunities.WEAKNESSESOccasionally runs by defenders with his long strides, but scouts won’t expect him to do the same at the next level. Will need to show he can drop his hips and have quick feet to run all NFL routes. Rounds off his cuts on out-braking routes. Concentration is a major issues, as he drops a couple of easily catchable balls a game. Limited catch radius on the move and will fail adjust to low or back-shoulder throws -– quarterback needs to put the ball on his chest. Not a natural hands catcher. Does not win at the line of scrimmage against press as consistently as expected given his build.NFL COMPARISONMohamed SanuBOTTOM LINEHamiltonused his size, strength and speed with the ball in his hands for a huge increase in production as a senior (he had just 542 receiving yards and four touchdowns on a prolific Razorbacks offense in 2011) while also proving he owns the speed and agility to win one-on-one battles against pro cornerbacks. He has some flaws and his concentration wavers. However, he was the only target that Tyler Wilson trusted in 2012 and it showed in his statline (90-1,335-5 TDs). If he runs well at the combine, he could find himself in the third round of the 2012 draft."
Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed.