Isaiah Hodgins | WR | Oregon State
Elevator Pitch
Hodgins is a big-bodied wideout with fantastic ball skills, strong hands and the ability to box out defenders and high-point jump balls well. His route running could use some improvement, but he has the potential to eventually grow into a solid complementary weapon with red-zone potential.
Vitals
Height | 6-4
Weight | 210
Strengths
Hodgins is a big receiver who can just go up and get the football with ease.
He is a lengthy wideout with a large catch radius who does a great job of timing when he goes up to compete for a pass. His ball skills are fantastic, as he does a great job of tracking down the deep ball and contorting his body to make the appropriate adjustments to the ball. Hodgins is able to box out defenders well, and his superglue hands allow him to consistently hold onto his ball. That ability not only helps him in jump-ball situations, but also when competing against man coverage when running shorter routes.
For a player who’s taller for his position, Hodgins plays with good overall fluidity. He can flip his hips well and possesses good body control and coordination across the middle of the field on the seam. He has solid footwork as a route runner and has shown the ability to understand leverage points in coverage and alter his stems to attack a cornerback’s blind spot. His combination of size and fluidity gives him some upside to work with going forward.
Weaknesses
As is the case with most bigger receivers, Hodgins isn’t necessarily a burner downfield. His acceleration off the snap is okay at best, and he doesn’t have the long buildup speed to consistently beat defenders as a vertical threat. That can allow NFL defenders to stall off the snap and give him some cushion, preparing to attack underneath. He doesn’t offer much agility or elusiveness after the catch, either.
Hodgins has some a bit of promise as a route runner, but the overall sharpness and burst with which he accelerates coming out of his breaks could be improved. He doesn’t sink his hips into his cuts very well, as one would expect for a big wideout. He could also stand to add some more muscle to his frame, as he struggles against press coverage and can be shut down by cornerbacks who can maintain pad level and play with a physical edge.
Projection: Day 3
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