Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl south squad wide receiver Cobi Hamilton of Arkansas (11) prior to kickoff of a game against the Senior Bowl north squad at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Fayetteville, Ark. – The Cincinnati Bengals selected former Arkansas Razorback wide receiver Cobi Hamilton in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Hamilton, 6’3”, 209 pounds, left the Arkansas Razorbacks as the school’s all-time leading receiver with 175 passes hauled in, 2,854 career receiving yards, and 18 touchdowns.
The third-team 2012 All-American was the 197th overall selection in this year’s draft.
Hamilton will join two other players on the current Bengals’ roster with Arkansas ties, former Razorback defensive end Jamal Anderson and Arkansas State linebacker Brandon Joiner.
Anderson was a first round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. He played four seasons with Falcons before spending 2011 in Indiana and 2012 with the Bengals.
The Bengals have a stud No. 1 wide receiver in A.J. Green (97 receptions, 1,350 yards, 11 touchdowns) with Jermaine Gresham being the team’s second leading receiver in 2012 (64 receptions, 737 yards, 5 touchdowns).
Hamilton has the opportunity to receive playing time early if he can prove to be an adequate second receiver on the outside to take double teams away from Green on the other side of the field.
The Bengals selected five offensive players with the team’s first eight picks. Hamilton was the only wide receiver selected by the Bengals in the first six rounds.
Over the past two NFL drafts the Razorbacks have had four wide receivers drafted, the most of any college team during that time; Jarius Wright, Greg Childs, Joe Adams, and Hamilton.