The Bad
Even though he has a lot of positives on his resume, there are some things that should concern the Minnesota Vikings as they hope to make good on their fifth-round investment in Harrison Hand. Here are some of the negatives.
Labored backpedal
If Hand wants to stay in front of some of the best route runners the NFL has to offer, he will need to clean up some parts of his game. One of those techniques that could use some polish is his backpedal off the line. This is something the Vikings coaching staff has worked with several players on backpedaling over the years and should be able to help improve this area.
Change in directions
Footwork in coverage sometimes causes extra separation between Hand and his wide receiver. Being able to change directions more suddenly will benefit him greatly in coverage as well as the pursuit of tackles.
Tackling form
At the NFL level, Hand won’t be able to get away with attempting to bring down ball carriers with big hits. He will need to continually wrap up and secure his takedowns or at least slow down the opposition if he wants to earn a role on defense or on special teams.