DT Johnathan "Big Hank" Hankins (Dallas Cowboys)

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What they're saying: DT Johnathan Hankins
May, 8, 2013
By Ohm Youngmisuk | ESPNNewYork.com


Rookie camp starts Friday so we're taking a closer look what Giants' brass said about each prospect.

Second-round pick (49th overall): DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State.

Here's our Rapid Reaction and what the Giants said about Hankins:

Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY SportsIn an attempt to improve last season's 31st-ranked defense, the Giants drafted Johnathan Hankins 49th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Marc Ross: "Johnathan [Hankins] is a big, wide-bodied space-eater on his side. He is 21 years old. He has a lot of upside. He is not a glamorous type of guy inside, but he does the dirty work that you need in there to occupy people ?- hold the point. He is a powerful upper body ?- snatch blocker for a 320-pound guy.

"We had him identified as a first-round guy. Some people might have been scared off by his lack of sack production. He just had one. Some people might have questions regarding his stamina. Okay, the guy is 320 pounds and he plays every snap. So if he wears downs at the end of a 60-play game, I could understand that. So you have to look at his body of work. You have to dig deep into who he is. The kid is a great kid. He loves football. He is going to work his butt off. So those concerns that others might have, we didn?t have."

Tom Coughlin: "[Hankins] is primarily a defensive tackle that has outstanding first and second-down run-stopping ability. ... You have to continue to build. We were 31st in the league on defense. ... For me, that is where it starts ?- up front. And you have to continue to develop and build. Be strong up there -? competitive."

Jerry Reese: "Big Hank is just a powerful inside presence, played a lot of snaps. You like that about him that he can have the stamina to stay and play. That probably affected his game a little bit on the back end because I think he ran out of gas sometimes when we watched him, but early on when he gets going, he?s a tremendous inside big thick young player against the run game and against the pass.

I wouldn?t call him a pass rusher but he gets some pressure up the middle. He can push the pocket up the middle. He can snap some heads back with his initial contact so he can push that pocket back. We think he can be a great addition, a young player.

Analysis: The Giants are all about being stout and strong up front on the defensive line. That is where everything starts for them on defense. It is why they don't value linebackers as much. It is why the Giants went out and got Cullen Jenkins, Mike Patterson and re-signed Shaun Rogers. And it is why they drafted Hankins. Hankins might not come in and immediately contribute with the depth at defensive tackle (don't forget Marvin Austin and Markus Kuhn). But he could figure in on jumbo run-stopping packages. In 2014, the Giants may really need Hankins with Linval Joseph, Patterson and Rogers all set to become free agents.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/giants/post/_/id/25300/what-theyre-saying-dt-johnathan-hankins

 

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Johnathan Hankins on a four-year contract.
Hankins is capable of swallowing up opposing running backs at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, but flashed an inconsistent motor in the Big 10. He also turned in an underwhelming 5.31 in the 40-yard dash, and painfully-slow 1.82 ten-yard split. He'll have to prove he's ready to work at an NFL level before siphoning snaps from NT Linval Joseph. May 10

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/8433/johnathan-hankins

 

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DT Johnathan Hankins on adjusting to pro game- video interview 5 10 13

 

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DT Jonathan Hankins on staying focused- video

DT Johnathan Hankins adjusting to Giants
Michael Eisen Senior Writer/Editor @GiantsEisen

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – When Johnathan Hankins starts playing games for the Giants he’s going to wonder why his workload is so light.

And “light” is not a word often appearing in the same sentence as Hankins, a second-round draft choice who is 6-4 and 320 pounds.

The Giants frequently rotate their defensive linemen on and off the field to prevent fatigue and to keep everyone on the front strong through the fourth quarter. It’s a different philosophy than what Hankins experienced last year at Ohio State, where coach Urban Meyer sent his starters onto the field and kept them there. The result was that Hankins, a tackle, experienced the mayhem on the line of scrimmage for virtually every defensive snap in the Buckeyes’ 12-0 season.

“He (Meyer) didn’t like his starters coming off the field, so I had to make sure I was in good enough shape to stay on the field and contribute to the team,” Hankins said today between practices at the Giants’ rookie minicamp.

Hankins was asked about draft analysts who said he tired toward the end of games.

“Other people have their opinions and what they think, so I can’t really comment about that,” Hankins said. “I know what I’m capable of doing and I’m going to go out there and work hard.

“Of course, you’re going to get tired out there playing every single snap, but it’s just mental. I expect just to stay focused and try to win. Do as much as you can to help the team win. I did a pretty decent job at that.”

So how did he feel after a long Saturday afternoon in the trenches?

“I felt good because we won,” he said.

It’s difficult to make a comprehensive evaluation of linemen in this minicamp because the players aren’t permitted to wear pads. Tom Coughlin did note at his news conference that Hankins “made a nice play today.”

Hankins expects to make a lot of them in the fall. At Ohio State, he had 138 tackles (58 solo), 16.5 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks. He said the Giants’ defensive scheme is similar to the one he excelled in with the Buckeyes.

“We ran the same kind of front,” Hankins said. “I don’t think it’s pretty different from college to the NFL. We’ve got some really good defensive ends. It’s going to be great playing with the guys that we have.

“The first day I was kind of thinking a little bit too much, but I’m starting to relax and starting to get comfortable within the scheme of the defense and just be confident and go out there and make plays. I’m not trying to make plays that I can’t make. Just make the plays that come to me.”

And taking a little breather when given the opportunity.

http://www.giants.com/news-and-blog...o-Giants/03bb0947-d066-46e9-b219-70ae9bf816b2

 

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Giants believe rookie DT Johnathan Hankins will bolster their run defense

The Giants hope rookie defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will help improve their run defense this season. (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

Dave Hutchinson/The Star Ledger
on May 11, 2013

Johnathan Hankins has never seen a sunrise he didn?t cherish. His passion for football is surpassed only by his zest for life. His effervescent smile dwarfs his hulking 6-2, 325-pound frame.

The Giants rookie defensive tackle out of Ohio State has a personality that belies his career path. His job is to inflict pain and wreak havoc on the football field. His life?s mission is to please everyone he meets.

"I don?t know if he ever has a bad day," Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "He always had a gigantic smile on his face. Everybody loved him. Even coach (Urban) Meyer would say, ?He?s such a friendly kid.?

"He?s just a wonderful guy to be around. He was always happy. He loves life and he loves football."

Hankins played three seasons for the Buckeyes. He was a two-time captain.

"He?s always in a good mood," said Buckeyes teammate and Giants rookie free-agent linebacker Etienne Sabino. "That?s just Hank. That?s how he is. He?s a quiet dude, humble, kind of low-key."

cont...

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/05/happy_hankins_is_hoping_to_sad.html

 

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DT Johnathan Hankins is living up to his nickname, "Big Hank", and showing he is much more
When a nickname like ?Big Hank? precedes you, people picture a mound of a football player there to clog the middle.

While Johnathan Hankins is that, the defensive tackle is also much more. He proved it in college, and now he?s out to do it again on the big stage. But first, the Giants? second-round draft pick has to prove it on the practice field, which he continued to do during this week?s minicamp.

?That I was not just a big guy,? the Ohio State product said about what he wanted to prove from day one with the Giants.

?I can move, I can pass rush, and I can be a factor out there. With the schemes that they?ve got now, they?ve got me basically playing what I was in college ? a little end, a little inside, so pretty much everywhere on the line. I?m just learning all the positions and the plays.?

Last season, under orders from first-year head coach Urban Meyer, Hankins slimmed down to 320 pounds -- his current weight -- during the Buckeyes? 12-0 campaign in 2012, enabling him to remain on the field for 85.7 percent of snaps on defense.

In addition to building the stamina to play all downs, Hankins also received a jumpstart on NFL tutelage.

Mike Vrabel, the former outside linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, took over as Meyer?s defensive line coach in 2012. He previously coached the linebackers at OSU in 2011, the year he retired from the NFL.

Now Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn is picking up where Vrabel left off.

?It was an honor for [Vrabel] to coach us, seeing him play in the NFL and winning Super Bowls,? Hankins said. ?He really brought the physical standpoint to the defensive line. He was very, ?Never let an offensive lineman dictate or get their hands on you.? He really stressed more technique and hands, and I?m trying to carry that on here. I know that?s what coach Nunn stresses, too. I?m in a good place.?

http://www.giants.com/news-and-blog...Big-Hank/c50ada3b-b522-40ea-b798-949ee3900c8f

 

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http://www.giants.com/news-and-blog...Big-Hank/c50ada3b-b522-40ea-b798-949ee3900c8f

That read like a testimonial on why kids should go to Ohio State.

 

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Former Ohio State DL Johnathan Hankins, now with the N.Y. Giants, says the Buckeyes will finish No. 1 (video)
By Branson Wright, The Plain Dealer
June 28, 2013

BEREA, Ohio - Johnathan Hankins dreamed of playing in the NFL just like many of the children who participated in the NFL Play 60 Youth Football Clinic at the Cleveland Browns' training facility with the AFC rookies today.

And Hankins' dreams weren't necessarily deferred, as a second-round pick out of Ohio State by the New York Giants, but he didn't exactly imagine the end result.

"I was a running back when I played youth football, and I imagined I'd be a running back in the NFL," said Hankins, a defensive tackle who now weighs 300-plus pounds. "Things sort of changed along the way, and I had to change positions. But here I am."

Participating today was also special because Hankins was on the same field with Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston. The two terrorized their high school opposition as teammates in Detroit.

"He's going to do a terrific job, especially as a rookie," Gholston said of Hankins. "He did well from high school to college. He dominated at Ohio State. He'll do well at the next level."

Hankins left for the NFL after his junior year, and despite the boost in income, there is one drawback: He can't be a part of the Buckeyes' 2013 season and their run at a national title.

"Hopefully we'll win all of our games and be in the National Championship, like we were supposed to have been in last year," Hankins said.

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sport...ampaign=BR_OSUBuckeyes&utm_source=twitter.com

 

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[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHHG9rzD1DQ"]Jonathan Hankins New York Giants (Former Ohio State Buckeyes) - YouTube[/ame]

 

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New York Giants' Johnathan Hankins: 'Run stopping is my specialty'
By Ed Valentine @bigblueview on Jul 15 2013

The New York Giants needed to improve their defense vs. the run, and that is why they drafted defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.

The New York Giants were 28th in the NFL last season against the run, allowing 129.1 yards per game and 4.6 yards per rushing attempt. The vast personnel changes they have made at linebacker and defensive tackle this offseason were undertaken with the goal of improving in that department.

One of the players they are counting on to help them against the run is rookie Johnathan Hankins, the 6-foot-3, 325-pound defensive tackle they selected in the second round (49th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.

"Run-stopping is my specialty," Hankins told me during a brief chat at mini-camp in June. "I feel like we'll do a much better job this year with me learning more and continuing to make progress I feel like we'll be able to do that.

"We've definitely got to stop the run so we can hold that quarterback in the pocket. That's what I do best."

In his prospect profile of Hankins, BBV's Jesse Bartolis said Hankins "has very good agility and athleticism for a man his size. NFL.com said Hankins has "a rare combination of size, strength and foot quickness for a defensive lineman to be a force against both the run and the pass."

Hankins had only five quarterback sacks in his three seasons at Ohio State, but says "I feel like I'm a better pass rusher than what people think. I'm going to continue to work on that and get better."

In his post-draft press conference with Giants beat writers, Hankins expressed confidence in his ability.

"I feel like being the way I am, 325 pounds. You don't really see too many big guys running from sideline to sideline making plays. I feel like I'm probably one of the best and I feel like I'm the best so I'm going to keep working hard to help the team be good," Hankins said.

Hankins will likely open the season as one of the rotational defensive tackles behind starters Linval Joseph and Cullen Jenkins. Hankins has been compared to veteran Giants' defensive lineman Shaun Rogers, and says he has been "Just listening to him (Rogers) and the other guys and taking as much information as I can."

"I'm just trying to hold as much information as I can and go out there and compete," Hankins said. "Just learning the plays, the techniques, the gaps, responsibilities, stuff like that. I'm coming along well with the playbook and executing what I have to do."

http://www.bigblueview.com/2013/7/15/4480632/new-york-giants-johnathan-hankins-defensive-tackle-nfl

 

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Giants summer questionnaire: Johnathan Hankins

Johnathan Hankins, left, and Damontre Moore, right, have quickly become friends since being drafted by the Giants in April. (Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)

Michael J. Fensom/The Star-Ledger B
on July 18, 2013

Johnathan Hankins turned 21 a month before the Giants selected him in the second round of April's NFL Draft. Since, the defensive tackle out of Ohio State has focused on learning the Giants' playbook at the defensive tackle and end positions. He has had no problem bonding with Damontre Moore, the defensive end the Giants selected 32 picks later. Moore, whose locker is around the corner from Hankins' at the Timex Performance Center, jumped in to ask some questions for the latest installment of our summer questionnaire series. (We'll post a questionnaire with Moore on Friday.)

What are your first impressions of the NFL?

It has been good. Coming in as a rookie, being here for about five weeks now, I'm just trying to experience what happens. I'm starting to catch on to the defensive plays, the schemes, getting comfortable with my teammates and everything around me and getting used to the NFL life. I'm embracing it, really.

You're coming Ohio State -- a very big program -- you're used to dealing attention from fans and media. What is different now?

The speed, the game planning, the techniques are different. I'm just working hard and getting in the playbook to get those plays down.

The amount of information they give you in the playbook is increased. You need to break it down and visualize it, listen, take it in. At Ohio State, on a base level, we ran the same scheme we run here. The only thing that is really different is the terminology. But getting the feel of the game -- how face-paced the offense is -- I'm trying to assimilate that as best I can at practice.

cont...

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/07/giants_summer_questionnaire_johnathan_hankins.html

 

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Giants rookie DT Johnathan Hankins is shaping up

Rookie defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins is hoping to make an immediate impact with the Giants. (Tony Kurdzuk/Star-Ledger file photo)

By Dave Hutchinson/The Star Ledger
August 01, 2013

Rookie defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is the Giants? version of the incredible shrinking man. And the smaller he gets, the bigger he plays.

Hankins, who reported to Ohio State at 350 pounds as a freshman, played at 330 pounds as a sophomore. Last season, he played at 325 pounds, earning second-team All-American and All Big-Ten honors, anchoring a Buckeyes? run defense that ranked 14th nationally and second in the Big Ten against the run.

Last Friday, Hankins, the Giants? second-round pick (49th overall), reported to training camp at 318 pounds, two pounds below his assigned weight. Already, he has the coaching staff marveling at his ability.
Giants rookie Johnathan Hankins talks about playing with fellow rookie Damontre Moore Giants rookie Johnathan Hankins talks about playing with fellow rookie Damontre Moore during training camp in East Rutherford.

?He has really surprised me coming in,? Giants defensive line coach Robert Nunn said. ?I thought he did an outstanding job between when he started until now with his body. He?s worked, he?s trimmed up, he?s gotten stronger.

?If he continues to do that I think he?s another young player that?s going to contribute to us. He really has looked good.?

Hankins, who is working with the second-team, feels he?s ready to contribute this season, despite a logjam at defensive tackle that includes Linval Joseph, Cullen Jenkins, Mike Patterson and veteran Shaun Rogers.

?I?ve been getting hold of the playbook and going out there and playing and not thinking so much and it?s working for me,? said Hankins, who hopes to drop another two or three pounds. ?It (the game) is starting to slow down.

?Just getting the feel and the temp of the game. Just getting comfortable. Wednesday (the first day in shoulder pads) was one of the best days. I got the feel of it. I feel I?m going to pick it up real well.?

Hankins has been playing left defensive tackle alongside fellow draft pick Damontre Moore.

?It?s been a good thing,? he said. ?Whenever I don?t know something, whenever he doesn?t know something, we can work hand-in-hand (to figure it out). That?s pretty good to have someone you know (beside you) who came in with you.?

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/08/giants_rookie_dt_jonathan_hankins_is_shaping_up.html

 

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Big Blue Morning: Hankins' time?
October, 3, 2013
By Dan Graziano | ESPN.com

The news of the day: Injuries and an 0-4 start may be conspiring to create an opportunity for a couple of the Giants' rookie defensive linemen. It sounds likely that Johnathan Hankins could be active for the first time Sunday, and it's possible Damontre Moore will start to get some more snaps on defense. The release of Da'Rel Scott earlier in the week likely means more carries for David Wilson, too. As I wrote after Sunday's loss in Kansas City, the Giants need to start finding out who's going to be part of their future and who's not.

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-giants/post/_/id/30351/big-blue-morning-hankins-time

 

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Giants rookie Johnathan Hankins aims to make impact on ‘D’

Friday October 25, 2013
BY ART STAPLETON
STAFF WRITER
The Record

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Giants’ rookie defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins
EAST RUTHERFORD – Johnathan Hankins played so much last season at Ohio State there was speculation his draft stock fell because he finished games exhausted.

Now the Giants’ rookie defensive tackle is desperate to do whatever it takes to not only get on the field, but stay there and have an impact.

And here’s the thing: the Giants are not opposed to playing Hankins, who has flashed talent in practice and games when he has gotten the chance.

But with defensive tackle being the deepest position on the roster – not to mention the most improved – Hankins often has found himself fifth in a four-man rotation of veterans who just happen to be playing at a high level.

“It’s tough, definitely not something I want to get used to,” said Hankins, 21. “It’s hard coming to the game and not playing, but you’ve got to realize this is a business and the coaches are going to play who they want to play, who they feel is best for us out there.

“I’ve just got to keep confidence in myself, keep working and keep getting better. Eventually, I’ll be on that field and once I do really get a shot to be on that field consistently, I’m not going to come off.”

cont...

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/sports/G...to_make_impact_on_D.html#sthash.d2JBFXTu.dpuf

 

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LGHL-Ohio State, New York Giants' Johnathan Hankins discusses OSU, NFL