Eagles Draft Profile: East Carolina WR Justin Hardy

Nov 22, 2014; Greenville, NC, USA; East Carolina Pirates wide receiver Justin Hardy (2) catches a 1st quarter pass in front of Tulane Green Wave defensive back Parry Nickerson (17) at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Measurables

Listed at 6-0, 188 lbs., Hardy isn’t going to blow anyone away with his size. But his game on the field is all about his technical and fundamental ability to beat you with his route running, hands and leaping ability. East Carolina did their own agility drill testing and Hardy was one of the team’s standouts. According to their site, Hardy completed the three cone/L drill in 6.88 seconds, can bench press 285 pounds, back squat 360 pounds and power clean 280 pounds. That might explain why he can block like he did in this video.

Hardy also had a 36.5″ vertical jump and a 9’4″ broad jump. Those are some impressive numbers and he’ll likely put up similar measurements or possibly even better at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine. What many coaches and scouts will be keeping a close eye on at the combine regarding Hardy is how he looks during route running drills and the 40-yard dash. Some question his ability to get in and out of breaks fast enough to get separation at the next level.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlien had this to say about Hardy regarding his own draft profile and the “bottom line” on the former Pirate as a prospect moving forward:

"Hardy consistently attacks his on-field responsibility with urgency and aggressiveness and he’s a very reliable target. With more teams running the ball out of three-WR sets, some coordinators will see value in the way Hardy gets after run-blocking assignments. Hardy must prove that he has the quickness to get separation out of his breaks."

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