Prospect to Watch Akiem Hicks, DL, Canada
Ever heard of Akiem Hicks? If you haven’t know one can blame you. Hicks played his football in a college in Canada, but that doesn’t mean NFL teams haven’t taken noticed. Hicks stood out in the East-West Shrine game and yesterday had his pro day. Hicks was impressive in front of representatives from about a dozen N.F.L. teams.
Hicks, who impressed a number of scouts during the Shrine Game, looked equally effective today. His marks of 27 reps on the bench, 33 inches in the vertical jump and 9 feet, 2 inches in the broad jump all represented improvements from his combine results. He later kept the momentum going in position drills on what was a rainy day.
Hicks is getting consideration from both 4-3 defenses around the league, who project him to tackle, as well as a number of 3-4 squads that like Hicks as a two-gap end.
The book on Hicks is that he is a powerful and athletic defensive linemen with loads of potential. He has long arms and terrific size and can move, but that he is extremely raw and needs a lot of work on his craft. Hicks was a former LSU recruit but decided to go elsewhere after an investigation, he’s a kid who carries the “character concerns” label. Hicks is likely to go in the mid rounds because of his potential to not only make a N.F.L. roster as a depth player, but develop into a good starting defensive linemen in a 34 or 43 scheme.
A few other Proday notes to relay
The word from the Western Michigan pro day was promising for teams considering Jordan White, one of the best receivers in April’s draft. The sturdy White ran almost one tenth of a second faster today than his time from Indianapolis, unofficially clocking a 4.59-second 40. It’s an important mark for White, who looked outstanding in position drills, as the time will likely push him back into the late rounds of the draft.
In Toledo, there was a large turnout of scouts and offensive coaches on hand to watch junior receiver/return specialist Eric Page. The All-American did not disappoint, improving his 40 times from the combine by one-tenth of a second. While most of the watches clocked Page at 4.51 seconds, a few dipped as low as 4.48 seconds. During position drills Page ran sharp, crisp routes and caught NFL passes. He solidified himself as a fourth-round pick and may squeak into the draft’s second day for a team that falls in love with his versatility.