At #43 The Jets Take WR Stephen Hill

The New York Jets trade #47, #154 (5th round), & #232 (7th round) to Seattle for #43 and select WR Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech.

Basic information from NFLDraftScout.com
Height: 6-4
Weight: 215 lbs.
Arm Length: 33.375 inches
Hand Length: 9.375 inches

Combine Numbers
40-time: 4.36
Bench Reps: 14
Vertical: 39.5
Broad: 11’01”
Shuttle: 4.48
Cone: 6.88

Overview
When Hill declared he was coming out early for the NFL draft, teams were eager to see him perform at the Scouting Combine. He dazzled them at the Combine even more than the general public realized. His announced time at the Combine was 4.36 seconds, but he was told by NFL scouts that his best time was actually 4.28 seconds. He also soared 39 1/2 inches in the vertical jump and was impressive in every drill. This, in turn, sent curious scouts back to look at game tapes. What they saw at Indianapolis combine and in the games is an athlete who always has been special. Hill finished his three-year college career with 49 catches for 1,248 (16th in school history). That average of 25.47 yards per reception would have broken the school record, but he fell one reception short of qualifying (minimum 50 receptions). His nine career touchdown receptions rank 14th in Tech history. Last year he took his 28 catches for 820 yards, a 29.3-yard average that led the nation. As a senior at Miller Grove High School, Hill was not only an MVP football player but set the Georgia State prep record with a long jump of 25-feet, 8 3/4 inches, which would have placed ninth at the last Olympics.

Analysis
Release: Has exceptional length, reach, and power in hands, and easily negates the press. Not overly sudden, needs some steps to get to top speed. Tends to release a bit high and upright. Not overly explosive initially, but top speed is impressive once attained.

Hands: Has generally good hands, with the capacity for the outstanding catch. Tremendous ability to high point. Good at tracking the throw and adjusting his route. Natural hand catcher. Has great leaping ability and can extend and snatch with elite skill, even at full speed.

Route Running: Has to gear down a bit to make sharp cuts. Is best when running routes that require smaller cuts. Has great top end speed and is really difficult to match on deep routes with a few not-so-sharp cuts.

After the Catch: Has great top speed. While not that shifty in the open field, has a good stiff arm, is strong, and can break tackles.

Blocking: Top grade here. Has outstanding range, technique, and power. Consistently dominated smaller DBs and had success blocking LBs. Was a focus blocker on the GaTech offense with plays designed to run behind his blocks.

Intangibles: Smart, durable, hard working athlete. No apparent reason to question a high intangibles grade here, which is important for a prospect going from a triple option to the NFL, not a small adjustment for a WR.

NFL Comparison: Darrius Heyward-Bey – Oakland Raiders

Chris Menn

I'm a 27 year old Jets fan from Massachusetts who has been following the Jets since 1990. I used to run my own Jets blog called Chris' Jets fan blog and worked on JetsCentral.com before I joined JetNation.com. Still waiting for that Super Bowl...

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