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The Eagles have plenty of talent at wide receiver with the likes of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, Arrelious Benn and Brad Smith on the roster. While all of those player are talented and makeup a pretty solid five-man unit, the position seems to lack youth, even with the departure of Jason Avant. The desire to develop talent at wide receiver could lead the Eagles to take a wide receiver on Day 3 of May's draft. If the Eagles are looking to snatch up a gem, Coastal Carolina's Matt Hazel could be an option for Philadelphia.
College Career
A talented South Carolina wide receiver coming out of high school, Hazel committed to Coastal Carolina in 2010. Hazel played 11 games (three starts) as a true freshman and caught 20 passes for 276 yards and five touchdowns. He was named second team All-Big South as a sophomore after collecting 488 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
A first team All-Big South selection in 2012, Hazel tied the season record for Coastal Carolina with 61 receptions. He appeared in all 13 games on the year and also had 799 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He repeated first team All-Big South honors and broke his own receiving record with 70 receptions. He collected 990 receiving yards, which was the second most in a season for the school. He also had nine touchdowns that led the Big South Conference.
He played in the East-West Shine Game.
Combine Numbers
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 198 lbs
Arm Length: 31 3/8"
Hands: 9 1/8"
40: 4.50 seconds
Bench: 15 reps
Vertical: 36.5 inches
Broad: 118.0 inches
3 Cone: 7.08 seconds
Shuttle: 4.20 seconds
Strengths
Hazel is a very solid blocker and finishes on blocks well. He has solid speed and can get open. He has YAC ability and great hands. His routes are fluid and he runs hard. He will sell out for the catch and is very proficient on screens.
Weaknesses
He is not a tough player and seems to get pushed off his route at times. A small school guy, who went up against inferior talent, it is hard to know if he can be successful against NFL talent. He doesn't have much of a pedigree and he is not an excellent athlete.
Eagles Outlook
The Eagles could use a project wide receiver, not necessarily to push their starting or depth talent, but to at least have a successor to implement when those guys move on. Hazel is a low risk-high reward player with size and speed that Chip Kelly really does appreciate. If the Eagles choose to ignore the position until Day 3, Hazel could be a solid selection for the future.
Trust Your Own Eyes