Leonard Hankerson knows what time it is

Leonard Hankerson can see the irony that a couple hundredths of a second could cost him millions of dollars.

Never mind what this former St. Thomas Aquinas standout did on the field for the University of Miami, breaking all kinds school records, arguably putting together the best statistical season in Hurricanes history. 

Never mind that Hankerson, who is compared to former UM standout and Colts star Reggie Wayne, was one of the top performers at the Senior Bowl during the week’s practices, or starred at the game by catching five passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.

At this early point in the draft process it’s all about silencing the critics, and the biggest knock on Hankerson are questions about his speed considering he wasn’t a deep threat at UM.

Hankerson’s done an excellent job addressing the inconsistent hands issue (thanks to Mark Duper, who coached him for the past two years) and silencing erratic route running concerns.

Now all that’s left is a fast 40-time.

Hankerson said he’s presently shaving off a few hundredths of a second on his 40-time, L-cone drills, and shuttle run while training at Pete Bommarito’s Performance Systems. He’s optimistic he’ll get into the 4.4 seconds range in the 40-yard dash either at the combine, or UM’s workout day for draft prospects.

Hankerson knows if he can produce a sub-4.5 40-time it’s possible he could sneak into the first round.

“I’ve proved myself in every category, doing whatever I have to do. Only thing people worry about is how fast I am,” Hankerson said during this video you should check out by clicking on the link.

Most draft experts have Hankerson rated amongst the top seven receivers in this draft. He’s placed somewhere behind Georgia’s A.J. Green, Alabama’s Julio Jones and Pittsburgh’s Jon Baldwin, and on par with Maryland’s Torrey Smith, Troy’s Jerrell Jernigan and Boise State’s Titus Young in most rankings.

But unlike Hankerson, Smith, Jernigan and Young are perceived as deep threats, which is something teams like the Miami Dolphins are specifically looking for to complement their receiving corp. Hankerson is perceived strictly a possession receiver, which plenty of teams are also searching for. Just not the Dolphins, which already have Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline in the fold.

It’s very likely that Hankerson, who is rated by NFLDraftScout.com as the No. 44 prospects in the 2011 class, will be selected in the second round. But a quick 40-time, and impressive combine, school workout, and individual team workouts could push him up.

Hankerson ranked among the ACC’s best in receptions (72), receiving yards (1,156) and broke Michael Irvin’s school record with 13 touchdown grabs.

His drastic improvement over the past two seasons should be enough to make him the first senior wide receiver drafted, but this long-strider knows that 40-time he runs will be critical, determining how much of a signing bonus he lands.

“I’m getting faster and faster and working on my speed mechanics,” said Hankerson, who never ran track in high school or college. ”This is the first time I’ve ever trained for speed…. It’ll be a big difference when I get there. I feel like I’m faster, and I know I’ll be faster [at the combine].”



(sun-sentinel.com)