NFL Draft Profile: Gators WR Josh Hammond

With less than a month before the 2020 NFL draft, Gators Territory continues to profile each of the Gators’ draft hopefuls.

Next up on our list is the only senior member of Florida’s receiving corps that didn’t receive an invite to the 2020 NFL Combine.

During his Florida career, Josh Hammond saw 87 receptions for 1,138 yards and six touchdowns.

In his debut season, Hammond appeared in all 13 games and made three starts at wide receiver - totaling 14 catches for 177 yards. In his first game, he made five catches for 38 yards.

The next year he started eight games and played in 10, recording 18 receptions for 246 yards and finishing third on the team in receptions. His performance off the field earned him a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

In 2018 Hammond became a consistent starter, starting all 13 games, coming in second on the team in both receptions (28) and receiving yards (369 yards), while also hauling in four touchdowns. He also continued his hard work away from the gridiron and was named onto the SEC Academic Honor Roll for a second year in a row.

His senior season Hammond served as a captain and split starts at slot with teammate Freddie Swain. He appeared in all 13 games and started seven for 27 receptions, 346 yards and two touchdowns - coming in sixth on the team in receiving yards. Against Kentucky, he became one of nine FBS players to record a run and reception of at least 65 yards with a 76-yard touchdown run.

On the day that NFL Combine invites were announced there was one name missing and Florida Twitter sounded off. Why wasn’t Hammond on that list?

At that time, he still had pro day to look forward to as a chance to showcase his skills, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pro day never happened.

That left Hammond with no choice but to work on his own time to prove that he is deserving of a spot on an NFL roster.

Hammond has a unique set of skills, with an exceptional ability to produce yards after the catch and great hands that hardly ever drop.

Because he didn’t get a chance to show off at the Combine or pro day, and because there are so many wide receivers in this year’s draft, expect Hammond to go undrafted but be picked up quickly as a free agent.