6. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
As the expression goes, “speed kills.” Tyreek Hill certainly checks that box. Among the fastest players to suit up, Hill is a home run threat every single time he touches the football. Combine that with the fact that he has the combination of Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy designing the plays for him, and Patrick Mahomes getting him the football, and he is a highlight reel in cleats.
Watch this touchdown against the Denver Broncos. Hill is the single receiver aligned to the left side of the formation:
This is a variation of the “throwback” or “leak” design that is all the rage in today’s NFL. Here the Chiefs run X Leak, with Hill dragging across the formation and then getting vertically along the opposite numbers. From the otherside of the formation the Chiefs run a shallow crossing route with the tight end and a deep post route. Those routes create traffic, and Hill gets an assist as he works across the field against Chris Harris Jr. Matt Moore hits him in stride, and it’s an easy TD.
But Hill’s speed, as well as designs like this, overshadow what he has developed in terms of route-running. You might think that a player with his burst and acceleration could simply rely on raw speed to get open, but Hill has developed some nuance to his game that is worthy of appreciation.
On this late season TD against the Broncos, watch how he beats the CB with his route-running, before racing away from the free safety:
Hill sells Harris on the crossing route, getting the DB to bite, and then bursts away from both him and Justin Simmons. Harris is probably wishing he left the AFC West in the rearview mirror…
In the AFC Championship Game Hill reached the end zone on a simple seam route, but his footwork on the release was anything but:
This is like one of those receiver workout videos you see posted during the summer, with the quick footwork against a ladder. Hill is doing it in the AFC Championship Game with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Adding nuance to his game is much like when Happy Gilmore learned to putt. Game over friends. Game. Over.