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It’s somewhat shocking, that Lavert Hill went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The lockdown corner who is used to playing on an island was seen as a day two pick if he had left early in 2019, however, he stayed locked into the Wolverines, and it cost him.
Despite having no fall off in play, the Detroit-native who showed not only a penchant for big play ability but also that teams pay if they throw the ball at him, Hill didn’t just fell to day three in the draft, no team with one of 255 picks selected him.
But he’s getting some redemption, with Yahoo’s Terez Paylor reporting that the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are signing the standout corner as an undrafted free agent.
The Chiefs have agreed to a UDFA deal with Michigan CB Lavert Hill, a source tells me.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) April 25, 2020
There, he’ll rejoin teammate Mike Danna, the Chiefs’ fifth-round selection, as well as former Wolverine Frank Clark.
Though Michigan fans saw a corner who let next to nothing up in his three years as a starter, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein saw both positives and negatives:
Overview
Undersized press corner with good instincts, ball skills and coverage strength, but a concerning lack of long speed. Hill’s body control and short area quickness put him in position to make plays on the football, but when forced to cover downfield, he begins to grab and pull to prevent big plays against him. He’s too small to stay outside but his strength could help balance out average suddenness against shifty slots. The discipline and awareness are present to play short zone, but run support might be an issue if teams come at him from 11 personnel. Projecting a successful move inside is challenging so he gets a backup “prove it” grade until the challenge is met.
Strengths
- In-your-face press technique
- Consistent ball production as a starter
- Eyes wide open to route combos developing around him
- Patient and poised in press and catch-man techniques
- Fluid change of direction when trailing routes
- Quick recovery when shaken by press
- Reads receivers to turn and find football downfield
- Drifts into opponent to suffocate catch space downfield
- Excellent body control in his movements
- Above average feel to make his way into passing lanes
- Uses well-timed slaps to knock the ball away
Weaknesses
- Undersized as outside corner
- Missing classic lateral agility and burst as NFL nickel
- Rides high when phasing routes and overruns comebacks
- Loses ground carrying vertical speed
- Excessive downfield grabbing is an issue
- Could struggle to manage certain slot matchups
- Blockers and bad angles erase him in run support
Sources Tell Us
“He’s too small and can’t run. I like the ball skills but the physical makeup falls below our standards.” — Personnel director for NFC team