INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 03: C J Hanson #OL32 of the Holy Cross participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 03, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 300
HAND: 9⅜"
ARM: 32⅜"
WINGSPAN: 78⅜"
40-YARD DASH: 5.00
3-CONE: 7.90
SHUTTLE: 4.71
VERTICAL: 33.5"
BROAD: 9'7"
POSITIVES
— Active feet and good leg drive with the hand strength to "turn the wheel," tilt, secure and finish leaning defenders.
— Square posture in pass protection keeps him ready to engage with a strong base.
— Good speed on the move to intersect targets on climbs and as a puller.
— Provides a physical presence when uncovered in pass protection to dent adjacent rushers.
NEGATIVES
— Tall, upright playing style leaves him a tick late adjusting to moves across his face.
— Below-average mass, girth and square power.
— Doesn't always sort pluggers, creepers and late loopers on time.
— Operated in a run-heavy scheme with minimal one-on-one pass-protection reps.
2023 STATISTICS
— 11 starts at right guard
— Team captain
NOTES
— Born March 3, 2001
— 0-star recruit from the 2019 class, per 247Sports
— Played football all four years of high school but didn't earn a starting job until his senior year at left guard
— 38 career starts at right guard
— Invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl
OVERALL
C.J. Hanson is a three-year starter with 38 career starts at right guard inside Holy Cross's run-heavy (65-35 run-pass split), multiple run scheme with 11 starts in 2023 as a team captain. Hanson has a lean, angular build with adequate arm length, good athletic ability and below-average power.
Hanson is a quick-twitch mover who can reach his landmarks on zone-base, cut-off and combo blocks as well as on targets as a puller with the body control to sustain once latched. He flashes the hand strength and core strength to "turn the wheel" to get defenders sealed out of the lane, but he lacks the raw power and size to create immediate displacement when needed. Hanson also has a default high pad level that creates some lag time against movement across his face, leaving him stuck behind his target.
In pass protection, Hanson is an efficient mover who does a nice job keeping his hips square in his sets. He engages with a strong initial base while providing a physical presence when uncovered to deliver jolt on adjacent rushers and take them off their feet. Hanson's lack of mass and lower-body strength makes it a chore for him to halt movement with his anchor against power down the middle.
Overall, Hanson is an efficient mover with good linear burst and physicality to get on target quickly, but his lack of size and power will make it difficult for him to hold the point and displace NFL defenders. He's young enough to develop physically and stick as a swing backup on the interior, though.
GRADE: 5.3 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)
