Justin Hunter was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school in Virginia. During his freshman year with Tennessee, Hunter played sparingly, but made a huge impact when he was on the field. He finished 2010 with 16 catches for 415 yards and seven touchdowns. People were expecting big things from Hunter in 2011, but after putting up 16 receptions for 302 yards and two touchdowns; he tore his ACL and missed the remainder of the season. Hunter recovered for a decent junior season in 2012, but it was very evident something was off with his game, and his draft stock has suffered as a result.
So before I get too long winded, let’s take a look at my scouting report on the talented former Volunteers’ wide receiver.
| Ht | Wt | Class | Ranking | Projection |
| 6'4" | 196 | Junior | 60 | Second Round |
Strengths
Size: At 6’4” and nearly 200 pounds, Hunter has the size to go up against any defender at the NFL level. His 39.5” vertical leap and 33.25” arms all but assure Hunter will always win the battle for a jump ball.
Hands: Hunter possesses extremely sure hands, with an incredibly soft touch. He can snatch balls out of the air from almost any angle, and you will rarely-if-ever see Hunter catch a ball against his body.
Route Running: Hunter is an extremely talented and smart route runner. He can line up on the outside, as well as in the slot. Hunter is adept at using bursts of speed to gain separation and makes really clean, quick cuts.
Weaknesses
Lean Frame: Despite having the height and length to match up well against defenders at the next level, hunters sub-200 pound frame leaves a lot to be desired. He will need to add some muscle in order to avoid getting abused at the line by defenders in the NFL.
Run Blocking: Because of his lean frame and lack of superior upper-body strength, Hunter struggles mightily when trying to block defenders. He regularly gets thrown to the side and makes little-to-no impact. Beefing up should help this problem at the next level.
Bottom Line
Because of the knee injury that caused Hunter to miss all of the 2011 season, a lot of people are worried about his durability and are concerned he’ll never regain his elite speed he once had. At the combine he looked great in the positional drills and showed good speed with a 4.44 second 40-yard dash. His great hands, route running and length make him a can’t miss for teams in need of a top-notch possession receiver on the outside.