2022 NFL Draft profile: Michigan safety Brad Hawkins
Michigan has its work cut out for it in replacing Daxton Hill at safety in 2022. What it loses in Brad Hawkins could be just as critical.
Hawkins was a stalwart for the Wolverines during his time in Ann Arbor. He appeared in a program-record 56 career games and made 31 starts at free safety. Hawkins was also a special teams standpoint, appearing exclusively in that role in 17 of the games played at Michigan.
Hawkins spent five years at Michigan and moved on from the program at the end of the 2021 season. He was voted an alternate captain by his teammates and was a third-team All-Big Ten honoree by the media in 2021.
Here is a look at what he could bring as a prospect and what his pro outlook might be.
Brad Hawkins’ info
Height: 6-foot-0.5
Weight: 207 pounds
School: Michigan
Position: Safety
Projected: 7th round/UDFA
Pro Day Results: 4.57 40-yard dash | 7.10 3-cone | 4.34 shuttle | 20 reps on bench press (225 pounds) | 37 inch vertical jump | 10-foot-1 broad jump
Strengths
Hawkins was the team’s second-highest graded defender (83.0) on Pro Football Focus behind EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (94.5). He also posted strong run defense (84.9) and coverage (80.4) grades on PFF. Hawkins is a good communicator and was responsible for getting everyone where they needed to be on the backend of the defense. He is also a sure tackler and shows toughness and grit that endeared him to Michigan’s coaching staff. Special teams might have to be his calling card at the next level and he was a standout in that area in Ann Arbor. That said, there are not many better run defenders from the safety spot than what Hawkins brings.
Weaknesses
Modern NFL safeties have to be Swiss Army knives, but Hawkins might not offer what teams are looking for from a versatility standpoint. Michigan threw the kitchen sink at him and he fared well, but the NFL is a different beast with elite athleticism all over the field. Hawkins might be limited to box defender duties at the next level and a switch to linebacker might not be out of the question. His lack of playmaking ability and zero career interceptions are a big question mark. But it does feel like teams can carve out a nice role for him by playing him closer to the line of scrimmage. Michigan had him playing at 221 pounds last season, but he weighed in at 207 at his pro day. That could help mitigate athleticism concerns.
Brad Hawkins overview
Hawkins’ presence on Michigan’s defense was massively underrated during the 2021 season. His pro day numbers at Michigan were solid, so it has been a bit surprising to see draft analysts low on him. For example, The Draft Network has Hawkins as the draft’s No. 305 overall prospect. Hawkins did not receive an NFL Combine invite, so he had limited opportunities in the pre-draft process to showcase himself. He was a participant in the East-West Shrine Bowl week and met with teams at Michigan’s pro day.
Hawkins is a traditional strong safety prospect that is a functional athlete and fits the run well. He plays with the size and physicality demanded of the box safety role that he was thrown into. However, there might have been a more substantial role for him 10 years ago. His limitations (on paper) athletically and lack of playmaking ability seem to affect how teams ultimately view him. Hawkins should be able to stick as a special teamer, depth piece and potential subpackage defender at the next level. He is worth a late-round look, but will almost certainly wind up in a training camp somewhere.
