Jake

Hanson

Hanson (6’4/303) was a four-year starting center at Oregon who earned an All-Pac 12 honorable mention every season. His experience and competitiveness have him on the NFL’s radar, but he’s a well below-average athlete. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.50 seconds and lacked the strength to be put in one-on-one situations on tape. Hanson will compete for a final roster spot this offseason as a 23-year-old rookie. It’s clear the Packers made offensive line depth a priority over receiver depth in this draft.

"[Hanson’s] strong, accurate hands and determined effort are his calling cards and he’s been able to hang in against a series of big, talented interior linemen over the years,” Zierlein writes of the 6-foot-4, 303-pound lineman. The deficiencies, here, notes Zierlein, come in a lack of “power and mass.” Hanson’s athleticism doesn’t particularly stand out, either, but if you’re looking for a competent late-round backup -- rather than an upside developmental lottery ticket -- players like Hanson have appeal.

The first few bullet points in Zierlein’s report hit on Hanson’s intangibles rather than his skill set. In addition to a non-stop engine, Zierlein also praises Hanson (6'4/303) for playing with “poise and confidence against bigger men” as well as being a durable four-year starter, all of which is an attempt to cement Hanson as a reliable, hard-working guy. However, Hanson’s strength and weight are a bit sub-par and he does not quite have the elite movement skills to make up for it elsewhere. It is more than likely that Hanson ends up as a backup, at least for his first couple seasons.

Hanson impressed with his bench press on Thursday with 33 reps. He wasn’t so impressive in his running drills, as that 5.50 second time is the lowest among centers and the fourth-slowest so far. The 6-foot-4, 303-pound lineman didn’t participate in any other events, so we’ll call this a mixed week for the former Oregon Duck.

Hanson (6'4/303) may not be as celebrated as some of his fellow Oregon linemen, but he shouldn’t be overlooked as a reason why that unit was one of the nation’s best in 2019. According to NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein, Hanson’s lack of “power and mass” is a concern with regard to his prospects at the next level. Putting up a high number in the bench press isn’t a bad way to begin to alleviate those concerns if you’re Hanson.

Hanson (6'5/295) was injured against Montana two weeks back and subsequently sat out Saturday’s win over Stanford. The Ducks are off on bye this coming weekend, affording the senior some extra time to truly get right. Oregon will next take the field for game action when they kick off against Cal on Oct. 5.

Hanson left with an injury against Montana late in the first half and wasn’t able to return for that game. It sounds like he’ll miss this game against the Cardinal, and Calvin Throckmorton -- who normally lines up at tackle -- will likely be behind center for the crucial contest.

Hanson is joining Calvin Throckmorton as star offensive lineman for the Ducks who will return to protect Justin Herbert, who also has decided to come back for his senior season. He was viewed as one of the better underclassmen at the center position, but likely would have been a Day 3 selection, so he’ll have a chance to improve that stock with a strong 2019 season.

Hanson went head-to-head with Washington senior DT Greg Gaines for much of the game -- Gaines himself a future NFL player -- and for the most part, he dominated, as the Oregon offense was able to consistently move the ball against the Washington defense up the middle. “Hanson offers good snap to step quickness - shooting his hands into defenders – and terrific core strength and balance to remain square and maximize torque to create movement,” Rang writes. He currently views the 6-foot-4, 297-pound prospect as a Day 2 pick, so there’s a real chance we see Hansen drafted before the end of the third round -- assuming he doesn’t stick around for his senior season.

Much of the attention went to analytical darling Tyrell Crosby in 2018, but Hanson was also a big part of rejuvenating the Ducks run game in 2017, and scouts reportedly took notice. " At center, the sophomore displayed plus athleticism on combo blocks to the second level and was adequately strong at the point of attack when dealing with bull rushes,” writes Trapasso. “At times he can be a little overzealous when approaching his blocks, which leads to him getting off-balance with his shoulders in front of his feet.” If Hanson takes a step forward in 2018 -- something we often see juniors do -- he could become one of the top interior lineman in the class.