Camp K notes: DeAndre Hopkins has big hands; roster decisions loom

Some call it juice. Others call it presence or swagger.

Whatever “it” is, DeAndre Hopkins brings it to the Arizona Cardinals.

Teammates feel the energy when he steps onto the field.

In more material terms, though, the All-Pro receiver’s hands are confirmed to be large.

“I’m not an expert on receivers or hand size or things of that nature, but I’ve never seen a player his size with that type of hand width,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday. “He just engulfs that thing. He catches the ball one-handed with ease, easier than I catch with two.”

Reporters who attend practices cannot say how talented at catching the football Hopkins has been due to media policies. Hopkins has been in and out of practices — the receiver was absent Wednesday — as he manages hamstring tightness anyway.

So take quarterback Kyler Murray recalling Hopkins using those large hands to make a stellar grab as evidence he’s shown well when participating.

“His first team rep, he went up on Byron (Murphy). He went up on top of him, backshoulder, kind of just snagged it out of the air,” Murray said. “It was one of those moments of, ‘Yeah, OK, he’s on our team. Everybody on the sideline was laughing and stuff like that. His hands are incredible.

“I think he wears a 3X(L) glove.”

Hopkins wasn’t the only starting Cardinal who did not participate in practice Wednesday. Tight end Maxx Williams and running back Kenyan Drake, who are nursing undisclosed injuries, were not at the open portion of practice.

“Like we’ve said all along, two guys we want to get to that first game,” Kingsbury said of Hopkins and Drake. “So we’re being overly cautious, making sure they feel great, 100%, and we’re not getting them back on the field until they’re 100%. And they know and they’ve been instructed … don’t step back out there here until you feel completely healthy.”

For what it’s worth, Murray remains unconcerned about Hopkins’ limited practice reps over the past week.

“I’ve thrown to a ton of receivers in my life. I think it’s going to be a — I won’t say natural transition, but at the same time I know we have to get the reps in to get the timing down, the chemistry down,” the second-year quarterback said. “I think once he’s on the field we’ll be fine.”

Extra points

— The Cardinals’ Red & White scrimmage Friday will broadcast on Channel 12 the next day, and Kingsbury said the team hopes to use the period more as a chance for young players to show out in a game-like setting. That’s important as Arizona gauges camp standouts and considers roster spots without preseason games this year.

“Guys have definitely caught our eye,” Kingsbury said of undrafted free agents. “What’s tough is you’re just now getting to know them, you didn’t get to learn their work habits and how they retain information throughout an offseason. I mean, this is fast and furious. They’re not getting as many reps. But there have been guys who have stepped up and had flashes here and there.

“You feel for them because normally they get to interview for 31 other teams while they’re interviewing for you in the preseason.”

— Kingsbury said position battles should come to light starting next week, when the team moves into a mock game week. At right tackle, the first name out of his mouth when asked about the competition was Kelvin Beachum, the veteran free agent addition. Rookie Josh Jones and Justin Murray, last year’s starter for most of the year, are also in the mix.

Kingsbury said that Murray is trusted at either right tackle or at guard.

— Kingsbury on wide receivers coach David Raih: “I think he’s one of the top offensive coaches in the league, in the country. His work habits, the way he carries himself with the players and the respect that he garners is impressive … He’s on a great ascent to being one of the top offensive coaches in the game.”

— Kyler Murray was coy when asked how the team expects to use tight end Dan Arnold.

“I honestly don’t want to say too much about Dan, so I’m going to keep it simple,” Murray said. “He’s a great player, great teammate, glad we have him.”

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