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Hooper looks super and Hackenberg, Boyd notes from combine

4 min read
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Stanford tight end Austin Hooper, a second or third-round draft pick depending on what rankings you look at, said he will meet with the Steelers on Thursday night.

Hooper’s an interesting prospect.

Obviously, as a Stanford guy, he’s smart. He’s also a good receiver and willing blocker.

But he also measured in at 6-3 ¾, though he was at 254 pounds. That’s a little shorter than typical.

Hooper did do his homework, however.

After he was asked if he was meeting with the Steelers, he was then asked if he was aware of their situation at tight end with Heath Miller’s retirement.

“Yes, yes sir I noticed that and Rob Branchflower is no longer part of the Steelers I believe too,” Hooper said.

Pulling out Blanchflower, who was released last week, was a Houdini-like act.

It will be interesting to see what Hooper runs. If he runs anything sub-4.65 seconds he could be a very nice pickup for the Steelers on Day 2 of the draft.

While Hooper was shorter than you’d like, he had the biggest hands (10 5/8 inches) of any tight end at the combine.

• Penn State quarterback Chistian Hackenberg raised some eyebrows when he thanked a number of people during his announcement to turn pro after his junior season because of who he left out – current head coach James Franklin.

Hackenberg gave an explanation on Thursday.

“It was one of those times where it was really emotional,” Hackenberg said. “I didn’t have anything written out. What came to mind were the people who had spent a lot of time with me, the people who had brought me to Penn State. Coach Franklin and I have a conversation. I thanked him in person. I thought that was best for our relationship.

“We’re fine. No hard feelings there. He’s doing a great job up there in terms of recruiting and getting the program headed in the right direction.”

Hackenberg is something of an enigma. He has classic NFL size and a great arm. But watching him play, you often saw some head-scratching throws or decisions.

In his defense, he didn’t get a lot of protection at Penn State, particularly after Bill O’Brien left for the Houston Texans following Hackenberg’s first season.

Hackenberg said it was a footwork issue that he believes he has corrected.

“It was mostly the base,” he said. “Having to move around so much, I got over-extended in the pocket and that led to accuracy issues. Being able to fix that and be super-consistent in it,

has made me more comfortable with my accuracy in terms of delivering the football.”

• A few years ago, Pitt’s Tyler Boyd was running around the football fields of Washington County, putting on dominating performances against the likes of Fort Cherry and Chartiers-Houston.

He hopes to put on a similar performance at the combine, where his 40 time could make or break Boyd, who was a do-it-all player at Pitt. But Boyd isn’t as concerned with his 40 speed as much as he is in the three-cone drill, which will show his change-of-direction skills.

“I believe I’ll run a top speed in that,” Boyd said.

Boyd did weigh a little more than anticipated. Some scouts have questioned if he’s too thin.

Boyd weighed in at 197 pounds. He’s no Sammie Coates in terms of body type, but he’s not DeSean Jackson, either.

“I’m a leaner and taller guy — inside or outside, my routes are crisp,” Boyd said. “I know how to work both positions, so I feel like

I have an edge over the guy that is going be challenging me in the slot because I’d be taller and a little more physical. I believe that is where

I can create most of my mismatches.”

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