2015 NFL Draft Profile: Louisiana DL Justin Hamilton

Justin Hamilton looks to be the next Ragin' Cajun to make an impact in the NFL.From the time Justin Hamilton stepped on campus in 2011, as part of Mark Hudspeth's first recruiting class, Hamilton was a difference maker for the Ragin' Cajun defense. Hamilton finished his Cajun career with 102 tackles, including 14 sacks. The Natchez, MS native who stands six foot, two inches and weighs 311 pounds is ranked as the 46th best defensive tackle in the 2015 draft class by NFLDraftScout.com.

Pros:

Having played in 50 of 52 career games, one of Hamilton's greatest strengths is his durability. In order to make plays, one has to be on the field. Hamilton proved throughout his time in Lafayette that he had the ability to stay healthy and be a major contributor, playing an important role in Louisiana's four straight New Orleans Bowl appearances. Being durable is one thing, but its another to be both durable and productive. Fortunately for Louisiana, Hamilton was both. He recorded no less than 25 tackles after his freshman season and had a knack for spending time in the opponent's backfield. "Juice" tallied 28.5 tackles for loss as Ragin' Cajun from 2011-2014.

Cons:

While numbers don't always tell the entire story of how well a defensive lineman played, Hamilton did see a dip in production when facing Power 5 opponents. Of his 28.5 career tackles for loss, only 1 of those stops came against a P5 opponent.

Dynamic duo @CountryQue_6 & @TrynaBeGreat_9 http://t.co/Jm0IwoiIrc #GeauxCajuns #WeAreLouisiana #CajunNation pic.twitter.com/5BGPso56Od

— CajunDreDog (@CajunDreDog) January 10, 2015

Outlook:

Hamilton has the size and natural ability to make it at the next level. His durability and proven track record of making plays along the line of scrimmage make him a viable NFL talent. If Juice does not hear his name on the final day of the draft, there will be a number of clubs ready to ink Hamilton to a free agent deal.