James Hardy SELECTED BY: Buffalo Bills Round 2(10)

SI Grade 4.04 GRADING SYSTEM

BIOGRAPHY: Three-year starter awarded All-Conference honors the past two seasons. Totals last season included career-high numbers of 76/1125/16 after 51/722/10 the previous year. Freshman-year numbers included 61/893/10.

POSITIVES: King-sized receiver with reliable hands. Smart, displays good awareness, and finds the open spot on the field. Strong, beats down defenders, and makes the difficult catch in a crowd. Extends and catches the pass away from his frame, using his size as an advantage. Displays relatively soft hands. Makes the difficult catch downfield. Displays timing and adjusts to the errant throw. Snatches the fastball from the air. Effective downfield blocker who seals running lanes for ball-carriers. Plays with good body control.

NEGATIVES: More of a loping runner with marginal playing speed. Average route-runner with limited quickness. Suffered off-field injuries as a sophomore, which infringed on his playing time.

ANALYSIS: Hardy is a big, strong pass-catcher with a very good game. He is truly the go-to guy opponents have difficulty stopping and he has the ability to make a quick transition into the NFL.