Hawkins was a very versatile weapon for Cal, being used as a kick returner, a receiver and on some trick plays as well with reverses. He gets off the jam at the line of scrimmage and while he does not have the greatest burst he does have good straight line speed. Shows really impressive leaping ability at times. Awesome catch on a seam pattern against the Trojans. Does a nice job high-pointing the ball, adjusting and using his body to shield away defenders. He’ll work that middle and won’t shy away from contact. Catches the ball away from his body generally and is a pretty sound route runner from what I saw in the Senior Bowl practices. Lavelle can also make people miss in the open field after the catch which is probably why he was used as a kick returner as well.
DeSean Jackson was supposed to be the 100-catch guy this year at Cal, but Hawkins showed NFL teams that he needs to be looked at seriously as well. After his showing at the Senior Bowl and the Combine I expect him to be a 3rd round pick.
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