Draft Prospect: WR Cody Hoffman, Brigham Young University (BYU)
Posted On 17 Feb 2014By : The Fantasy GreekComment: 0
The NFL combine begins tomorrow. In his ongoing series, collegiate scout Nolan Kuzmick shares his evaluation and short interview from the Senior Bowl of Brigham Young University wide receiver Cody Hoffman.
(For more college scouting articles, interviews, and podcasts, see TFG’s Fantasy Future.)
By Nolan Kuzmick
Cody Hoffman is a big physical receiver that can go up and get the ball, even in traffic and work for yards after contact. He is a great all around receiver with solid hands that can be a go-to possession-type receiver. But, he can also go get the deep ball. He runs smooth routes and uses enough contact with his big body to keep defenders out of the path of the ball. Hoffman has strong hands pulling the ball in with defenders all over him and batting at the ball. He has made some impressive back shoulder catches, capable of contorting his body in the air to make the catch. The reason he is pursuing the NFL is because he has a passion and love for the game. He feels his instinct are the best part of his game as he is capable of finding the holes in the defense, making the play, and getting up field. After catches, he often spins through tackles and presses for extra yardage.
Hoffman feels he is like Anquan Boldin as a receiver in terms of similarities in his skill set. He has molded his game after Boldin who he complemented for his route-running ability, physicality making plays in traffic, and his strong hands as a consistent reliable receiver. The toughest cornerback Hoffman has faced is Jason Verrett. Verrett has a very physical press style and once Hoffman was able to create space, Verett had the ability to make up ground quickly.
Hoffman was a quarterback when he was younger, and in high school, they made a play for him to throw the ball. In the bowl game his senior season, he showed off his arm throwing into the end zone. Hoffman is left-handed.
During his time at BYU, he had to work with a few different quarterbacks. The hardest transition he had to make was when he went from catching a football from a left-handed quarterback to catching a football from a right-handed quarterback. Hoffman noticed differences in arm strength, timing, the release point, and ball spin. He had to put extra time during this transition and as a result performed well under both quarterbacks.
The area of improvement Hoffman sees necessary in his own game is his ability to get in and out of breaks quicker. He has been working on weighted sleds and cone drills to help with this. He enjoys watching film to find subtle weaknesses in defenders and defenses as a whole, but he does not want to change his game play based on them. He wants to recognize and exploit their weaknesses without changing. Hoffman graduated a geography major because that was the major in which he was closer to finishing. But, if he went back to school, he would choose to major in psychology or communication instead.
Overall, Hoffman is an ideal outside receiver who will be a steal in this year’s draft. He could use improvement with his release off the line and out of press coverage as well as speeding up coming in and out of breaks. With that being said, he has the frame and tools to develop into a top tier receiver. He would make a team happy with their third round pick.
Other 2014 NFL Draft Prospects: DE Kareem Martin, North Carolina | OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State | LB Chris Borland, Wisconsin | WR Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest | LB Jonathan Brown, Illinois | LB Christian Jones, Florida State
Nolan Kuzmick is a contributing NFL draft analyst to Ourlads Scouting Services. He plays in multiple, fantasy football leagues and has won 4 championships in the last 3 years. His favorite task and biggest advantage is finding value and steals in the draft, both in the NFL draft and in fantasy football. You can follow him on twitter at @npkuzmick.
