K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio St.
The 6-foot, 196 pound senior receiver is the all-time leader in receptions at Ohio State and has been very consistent and productive throughout his career. Hill is most effective as a slot player he possesses great hands and has the ability to make some spectacular catches. Hill is a good route runner who uses quickness at the top of his routes to separate from underneath coverage. Hill is not the fastest receivers and his 4.60 40 yard dash shows that but he uses detailed route running with his understanding of leverage to free himself versus defenders. Hill finished his senior season with 57 receptions, 636 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
K.J. Hill would fill an immediate need a complete for snaps in the slot with the Cowboys. If the Cowboys were to able draft him in the third or fourth and use some of their early picks to address other need position that would equate to some great value.
What the experts say:
Words like “dependable,” “reliable,” and “consistent” work well to describe Ohio State’s all-time catch leader. He’s a slot worker who is most effective in space, where his route savvy and sticky hands can make their mark. He’s not sudden or special with the ball in his hands underneath and won’t stretch defenses vertically, so the routes may need to go from good to great for him to become more than a solid backup.
K.J. Hill projects as a viable depth receiver and a potential starting slot at the NFL level. Hill offers polished route running and a high football IQ, often finding soft spaces in the secondary to make himself available to his quarterback. He lacks any standout physical traits but his general toughness and polished eye for the game offer him a high floor as a depth player. Ideally Hill works into an offense that likes to space the field to maximize his route running and mitigates his lack of burst.
Hill is at his best in the slot or against zone coverage. He possesses great spatial awareness and catches the majority of his balls in the short to intermediate sections of the field. Bubble screens and yards after catch account for a large portion of his production. He lacks tenacity and size when asked to block. He’s very difficult to get a hand on, but when cornerbacks successfully engage, he can be rubbed out with relative ease. Hill is elite at making quick decisive cuts at the stem of his routes, and his smooth and fluid nature creates plenty of horizontal separation.
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