Dynasty Scouts Player Profile: Justin Hardy

Russell Clay

hardy

Editor’s Note: This is a Dynasty Scouts exclusive article. Remember, our Dynasty Scouts section focuses on the stars of tomorrow, with a laser focus on High School recruits and College players who look to have the talent to be future assets in dynasty leagues and have value today in devy leagues. Dynasty Scouts articles are found in our Premium Content.

Basics

School: East Carolina
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 190

Background

Was not highly recruited. Committed to East Carolina and got onto the team as a walk-on.

What Caught My Eye

The funny part about all this is that it wasn’t a specific skill that caught my eye, it was the impact he made on others. Over the past few weeks I’ve been starting to form together a rough group of rookie rankings. One of the things I look forward to the most is the feedback I get when I throw ideas and thoughts out there on Twitter. I hadn’t looked into Hardy much, if at all until recently. I noticed people kept bringing him up whenever I talked 2015 prospects. Finally, after another suggestion to check him out, I did – it was love at first sight.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

Statistics

Career Totals

Receptions: 387
Yards: 4,541
Yards per Reception: 11.7
Touchdowns: 35

Now that is some volume right there! Hardy ended his career at East Carolina with the most receptions in FBS history, which is obviously quite an accomplishment. While the rest of his statistics don’t stick out in any amazing ways, the ability to go from walk on to all-time reception leader can’t be ignored. Some players that are highly touted get put in great positions to post great numbers, Hardy took the scenic route and still managed amazing volume.

Plays that Stand Out

When you think of the toughest catches in football, the goal-line fade would be the one that pops into my mind first. Not only are you battling a corner in tight quarters, but you have to go up and be totally reliant on your natural ball skills to make the play. Here, you see just how gifted Hardy is at tracking, locating and pulling the ball in with one hand. These are the types of things that make players stand out at the next level, and get them more and more trust with their quarterback.

94bdof

Again, more of the same, but I felt this was needed to enforce the point about his natural ability. These are plays that translate to the next level. Even if he isn’t an elite athlete, these types of skills will find him a role, potentially a prominent one.

0hbaat

What I love about this play is that he shows two different abilities. First and foremost, he makes the first defender miss, which is very important for smaller receivers. Secondly, and probably my favorite part of the play is he knows when the play is over. After he makes the first defender miss, he evaluates the second line of defense and decides rather than try to cut it outside for a potential big play, he turns inside and dives for a few extra yards. It may be subtle, but making smart plays like that and not gambling for the big play will be a huge positive for him long term.

7mrgv4

Player Comparison

This is where things get tough. I’m not sure I can think of a player that really reminds me of Hardy. I see shades of Mike Wallace, both in terms of ball skills and after the catch, but Hardy obviously doesn’t have the speed. I see great vision and toughness after the catch, much like another Dolphin receiver in the form of Jarvis Landry, but their overall games don’t matchup. Hardy is a snowflake and giving him a player comparison seems silly. What I will say is he projects as a slot receiver based on his height and weight, so if he finds the right situation year one, I could see a very similar year to the one Landry had this past season. He could become a quarterback’s best friend very quickly.

[/am4show]