Jake Hanson 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Jake Hanson 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Jake Hanson was a solid piece of a very good Oregon offensive line in 2020. He started 49 games in his four-year career at Oregon. Remarkably, Hanson did not allow a single sack in each of his first three seasons at Oregon. He was the leader on the offensive line and called out blocking assignments and quarterbacked the line so to speak. He was twice selected to the All Pac-12 second team.

Jake Hanson attended high school at Eureka High School, in Eureka, CA. He was a standout player and left high school with multiple big school offers. He was offered by six Pac-12 schools but in the end, opted to attend Oregon. Arizona, Utah, Washington State, Oregon State, and California also offered him scholarships, as did Fresno State and Hawaii.

Hanson had another solid season as a senior at Oregon. Hanson started 12 games at center and played well throughout. He was consistently good in pass coverage and kept his quarterback Justin Herbert on his feet. Jake Hanson participated in the NFL Combine and ran a 5.5 40-yard-dash but put up an impressive 33 reps in the bench press. Most scouts felt he upped his profile with the performance. Jake Hanson was a second-team all-conference player. During the Pac-12 championship game and in the Rose Bowl he did not allow a hurry, pressure or hit against his quarterback.

Strengths

Super high football IQ;

Durable four-year starter in a big five conference;

Tremendous footwork and balance allows him to compete against bigger men;

Very good in slide protection in pass sets;

Has a superior motor and work ethic.

Weaknesses

Doesn’t always win at the point of impact;

Lack of strength will cause him trouble against the bigger defensive lineman;

Struggles with his hands at times, too wide with his punch technique;

Is a project for an NFL team, likely won’t be able to start right away;

Lack of range makes him a center only option, won’t transition well to guard.

NFL Comparison: Ben Jones

Projection: 4th – 6th Round

Bottom Line on Jake Hanson

Jake Hanson was a four-year starter at the University of Oregon. He was twice named second-team all Pac 12 and graded as the best center in the nation in week three against the University of Montana. He’s got a tremendous football IQ and does a great job reading defenses and setting up blocking schemes at the line of scrimmage. He has a great motor and excels as a pass blocker. Did not allow a single sack in the first three years as a starter and had only one penalty as a senior. Scouts have him pegged anywhere between the third and fifth-best center in the draft. Hanson should expect to have his name called somewhere between the fourth and sixth rounds.