It is clear that Sammy Watkins and Marqise Lee will be two of the top wide receivers taken in May’s draft. After the two, a name like Cody Hoffman comes to mind. When a player has the size and hands Hoffman has, it is easy to see why scouts love this receiver. Let’s take a look at eDraft’s official scouting report for the prospect.
College: BYU
Ht: 6’4”
Wt: 215
Video
College Stats | Year | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Freshman | 42 | 527 | 7 |
| Sophomore | 61 | 943 | 10 |
| Junior | 100 | 1248 | 11 |
| Senior | 57 | 894 | 5 |
Strengths
Size: Obviously, Hoffman’s size is his best trait. At 6’4”, Hoffman is able to go up and make acrobatic catches. At the goal-line, there weren’t better college football options in the redzone at the jump ball
Body control: You would think a guy of his size would not use his body that well. But, Hoffman uses his body exceptionally well. Hoffman uses his body to box out defenders, fight for extra yards, and to reach for pylons.
Athletic ability: To add to Hoffman’s arsenal, he also has excellent athleticism. Hoffman is extremely tall he has a big catch-radius. That is something that is extremely invaluable to NFL quarterbacks.
Weaknesses
Speed: The negative of his size is how he is a long-strider. That is one trait that scouts hate. Hoffman also doesn’t have the best burst off the ball. This will hurt Hoffman’s draft stock.
Competition: BYU has been an independent for the past few years. Because of this, many scouts will be turned away of Hoffman because of the competition he played. At the combine, Hoffman will have his chance to showcase his skills against NFL-proven talent.
Transitioning to the NFL: At BYU, Hoffman won many battles in college by using his size alone. But in the NFL, many cornerbacks will be able to match up in size against Hoffman. The NFL team that drafts him will have to put him in motion early to get him open looks.
NFL Comparison: Anquan Boldin, San Fransisco 49ers
It is easy to see how Hoffman is comparable to Anquan Boldin. Both have elite size, but neither has game-breaking speed. Also, Hoffman’s frame is very similar to Boldin’s when the latter came out of Pittsburgh.
Draft Outlook
An NFL team will most likely fall in love with Hoffman and take him in the middle of the second round. But, he could also fall to the end of the third round. There will never be too many wide receivers in the NFL. Because of that, Hoffman should be able to find his niche.
Best Fits
I can see the Buffalo Bills as a good fit for Hoffman. The Bills haven’t received consistent production from their receiver group for years, outside of Stevie Johnson. Hoffman would give the Bills a guy that could play opposite of Johnson for years to come.
Other possible fits include the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and the St. Louis Rams.