The Player
I won't lie, Joe Redemann did a much better writeup on Leonard Hankerson than you will find here. I'll try not to be redundant, but here are some interesting notes about the new Falcons' receiver.
In his two best seasons for the Washington football team, Hankerson's 0.76 and 0.77 Reception NEP per target scores were better than what Roddy White has produced in eight of his 10 seasons, and are well above the league average for the position. Julio Jones has averaged 0.80 for his career.
While his sample size is obviously small and against third and fourth corners, he also hasn't had the privilege of catching passes from a quarterback as talented as Matt Ryan.
Athletically, he has the speed and build of some notable NFL players.
| Name | Hght | Wght | 40 yd | Vert | Broad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alshon Jeffery | 6' 2⅞" | 216 | 4.48 | 36½" | 122" |
| Leonard Hankerson | 6' 2" | 209 | 4.4 | 36" | 117" |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 6' 2" | 216 | 4.42 | 37" | 128" |
| Cody Latimer | 6' 2" | 215 | 4.44 | 39" | |
| Justin Blackmon | 6' 1" | 207 | 4.46 | 35" | 123" |
| David Boston | 6' 1" | 215 | 4.47 | 37" | 116" |
| Sammy Watkins | 6' 0¾" | 211 | 4.43 | 34" | 126" |
While he doesn't have the hands or physicality that made most of those players great prospects, he also doesn't have to face top defenders and can rack up numbers against inferior defensive backs. As an athlete, he clearly has the talent to be a good player for this team, and it doesn't hurt that he worked with new Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan (the guy who drafted him) in Washington for much of his career.
The Opportunity
While Joe made the case for opportunity existing in Atlanta for the third and fourth wide receivers in that system, it should also be noted that Julio Jones and Roddy White haven't been the picture of health recently.
White in particular has missed five games over the last two seasons due to injury and was more of a decoy in a few others with a high ankle sprain. He will turn 34 this upcoming season, and in 2014 posted his lowest Reception NEP per target score since 2006.
Jones has played in 16 games only once in his NFL career and missed 11 games in 2013 due to a foot injury that has continued to require surgery and maintenance ever since.
If either were to miss time, Hankerson is the most likely player to fill in for them, a role that helped Harry Douglas to a 1,00-yard season in 2013. Yes, Harry Douglas had 1,000 yards.
While you probably won't be drafting Hankerson in any leagues or even rostering him in dynasty, he is firmly on the watch list, especially for Jones and White owners wary of an injury.