Stephen Hill draft projection
Draft expert Mel Kiper thinks former Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill would have been better served staying in school, but gives him a chance to get into the third round of the NFL draft.
“He’s going to need a strong workout to be a guy that goes on Day 2,” said the ESPN analyst, referring to the second and third rounds of the draft. At worst, Hill would go between the fourth and seventh rounds, he added.
When Hill requested an evaluation from the NFL draft advisory board, he was told that he did not have the potential to be drafted in the first three rounds. Working to Hill’s benefit is that he has the capability to impress NFL scouts in a workout. As a high school senior at Miller Grove High, Hill set the state high school long jump record.
Kiper said he was surprised when Hill decided to leave Tech after his junior season shortly after the Yellow Jackets’ season ended because another year could have elevated him “maybe in the first-round discussion.”
“I thought staying at Georgia Tech would have been a benefit to him,” he said.
Among other Tech’s other draft-eligible players, including defensive linemen Jason Peters and Logan Walls, linebacker Steven Sylvester, A-back Roddy Jones, safety Rashaad Reid and wide receiver Tyler Melton, Kiper said he did not have any of them with a grade would ensure them being drafted.
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123 comments Add your comment
ozzfest
January 23rd, 2012
5:19 pm
FREE DEGREE FROM TECH AND A $100K+ SALARY OR A LONGSHOT TO MAKE $575K FOR MAYBE FOUR YEARS.
DUMB MOVE LEAVING A SCHOOL LIKE TECH.
GO DOGS.
growing older, but not up
January 23rd, 2012
5:25 pm
Hill was always good in practice. Maybe he’ll impress at the combine…
I'll alert the Media
January 23rd, 2012
5:52 pm
Tech has a D1 football team ?
Reddawg 73
January 23rd, 2012
5:56 pm
You cannot always believe what Mel Kiper says. Did he ever play a down of football? This is the same guy that told everyone that Derrick Brooks of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was going to be a bust, especially being picked in the first round. All he did was make pro bowl after pro bowl and changed the game at the position of outside linebacker. So you never know, Hill may be another Victor Cruz.
steven A.
January 23rd, 2012
6:49 pm
Gorilla Biscuit
January 23rd, 2012
12:35 pm
Kiper looks like a third-string vampire.
Ditto.
Grinch
January 23rd, 2012
7:17 pm
you can have size, speed, ability to run amazing, sharp cutting routs, and can jump to the moon…but if you can’t catch a ball…it’s all a moot point. Hill can’t catch an open pass. Maybe if they design routs in double coverage against the sideline, he might have a chance. But wide open?? FORGETABOUTIT!
dekalb fan
January 23rd, 2012
7:23 pm
READ:
Stephen Hill
Georgia Tech
Ht. 6-5 Wt. 206
Strengths: Stephen Hill may be the ultimate upside/high ceiling guy at the position. He’s got the size and athletic ability to be special. He’s a playmaker that can make circus catches (see viral youtube video on sideline route). His ability to go up and grab the ball at the highest point is bordering on unreal. He has good speed for his size but not great straight line speed. Athletic ability is through the roof and can run after the catch. Most impressive is what he can with the ball in space for his size. He’s a guy that you throw it out to and watch him work. Averaged over 30 yards/catch this season in limited targets and has good hands.
Weaknesses: The Georgia Tech offense isn’t exactly conducive to producing NFL receivers although two top receivers have come out of that program in the last four years (Calvin Johnson ’07 and Demaryius Thomas ’10). He will need time to develop into an NFL route runner and may be further behind than Thomas was at this stage of his career. He doesn’t have elite speed but it’s good enough considering his frame. Just doesn’t have the reps or production to warrant a top pick.
Bottom Line: Hill has one the highest ceilings of this deep WR class. Georgia Tech has produced a couple good ones lately in Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas. Hill is much closer to Thomas than Johnson and I don’t think he’s as refined as Thomas at similar stages in their career. He’s an impressive athlete that makes big plays in limited opportunities.
Draft Projection: Stephen Hill is probably a third round pick at this point but he could rise to the second round come April.
Paul in NH
January 23rd, 2012
8:23 pm
slydog
January 23rd, 2012
12:35 pm
All I can say is for every 10 Calvin Johnson’s there is at least one Victor Cruz and Marquis Colston
—–
No doubt about that – guys who lead the league in receiving yards and TDs while double teamed on every play are everywhere. No team in the NFL would take Calvin Johnson over Victor Cruz or Marquis Colston
WnE
January 23rd, 2012
8:39 pm
If Hill is 6-5 with 39-40in vertical, and runs a sub-4.5 forty, and CPJ cannot get him ready for the NFL in 3 yrs. then CPJ has the wrong WR-coach on his staff, and IF that’s the case then we might not see very many good WRs Recruits choose GT in the future.
IMO CPJ is the “Wizard of Oz” of College Coaches, he has this aura and mystery that surrounds him as this so-called Offensive Genius, but once Recruits actually get to GT, they find out that they’ll spend their College Careers diving at kneecaps, and doing other things that won’t help them get to the “next level” and realize THEIR DREAMS, and then when they actually “go behind the curtain” and see what CPJ is really all about, they try to get away from GT/CPJ as fast as they can, EVEN IF THEY DON’T PROJECT TO GO HIGH IN THE NFL DRAFT.
The reason they do this, is that they might as well “start their NFL Clock” as soon as possible since one more yr. of diving at kneecaps and having the QB ATTEMPT 13-passes per game won’t raise their draft position anyway.
Do you honestly think that “smoke-routes” and jump-ball passing plays will improve S. Hill’s draft chances if he were to stay one more yr.?
Also, please STOP VILIFYING young men that want to try the NFL, if an engineering major that went to GT that didn’t play sports wanted to realize his dreams by going to Grad School or getting hired at a particular Tech. Company, no one would say anything, but anytime an ATHLETE wants to realize his dream they get unfairly accused of being “me-first” guys or thugs, or whatever negative comment is in vogue for that day.
CPJ makes $2.5 mil per yr., a SMALL part of his job should be to develop his players in their sport, and if he does that properly then SOME should have good shot at the NFL, if CPJ can realize his FINANCIAL DREAMS then guys like S. Hill should have a CHANCE to realize theirs.
Really?
January 23rd, 2012
8:43 pm
Obviously Hill knows the trade school is facing more ncaa problems.
WnE
January 23rd, 2012
8:44 pm
S. Hill and his Father KNOW that Coach Kung Fu Panda won’t develop him with another year in his gimmicky Offense.
Another year of “smoke routes” and Jump ball passes won’t do anything for S. Hill’s NFL aspirations, the way Hill & his Father see things it is better to get PAID to learn to be a better WR as Free Agent or mid-to-late Round draft pick rather than WASTING their time (1 more yr.) with Coach Fish Fry’s gimmicky Offense.
S. Hill & his Father have looked behind the Curtain and they KNOW that the “Wizard of Offense” isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.
Basically S. Hill is telling the WORLD that CPJ cannot do a darn thing for HIM WRT improving HIS chances for the NFL.
That is quite an indictment coming from one of CPJ’s own hand-picked Recruits!
Paul in NH
January 23rd, 2012
9:27 pm
“Basically S. Hill is telling the WORLD that CPJ cannot do a darn thing for HIM WRT improving HIS chances for the NFL.”
Using WnE’s criteria, by coming out as a JR Rennie Curran told the WORLD that CMR couldn’t do a damn thing for HIM WRT improving his chances for the NFL.
Rennie Curran is now out of football.
Laughable
January 23rd, 2012
10:00 pm
Let’s get this straight. Tech fans are talking about how he should stay and get his wonderful GT degree, but the rumors are that he was having academic issues. Anybody on here check his major? Of course not! Tech fans want everyone to believe that their athletes are all going to be engineers. NOT! Stephen Hill, Sociology major. Are you people serious? What a joke.
WnE
January 24th, 2012
1:32 am
re:
Paul in NH
January 23rd, 2012
9:27 pm
“Basically S. Hill is telling the WORLD that CPJ cannot do a darn thing for HIM WRT improving HIS chances for the NFL.”
Using WnE’s criteria, by coming out as a JR Rennie Curran told the WORLD that CMR couldn’t do a damn thing for HIM WRT improving his chances for the NFL.
Rennie Curran is now out of football.
___________________
You’re always angling for a “gotcha moment” to try and prove Ol’ Wrecks is wrong about something.
But using Rennie Curran is a bad example:
He was Drafted in the 3rd round
He was 5-11
He was playing for Willie Martinez
He didn’t fit in CTG’s 3-4 Defense EVEN if he had stayed around that long
Even if he did come back to school, as a 5-11 LB a 3rd round draft slot is probably the best he could do anyway, for those that know anything about the NFL they should KNOW that 5-11 LBs don’t become 1st rounders by coming back to school for 1 more year, 1 more yr. at UGA wasn’t going to make Curran grow to be 6-4..
Rennie Curran the 5-11 LB that isn’t cut out for a new DCs scheme that goes in the 3rd round after his Jr. year IS NOTHING LIKE the S. Hill situation.
If S. Hill were coming back to an Okie State type of Offense then he might have something to show the NFL scouts, but coming back for “smoke routes, jump-ball-passes, and kneecap diving blocks” will DO NOTHING to improve his NFL draft status.
And please don’t play the Bey-Bey Thomas card, he was 6-3 235lb coming our of GT and ran a 4.38 forty, he was drafted for being the RAW PHYSICAL SPECIMEN that he is, IN SPITE OF PLAYING FOR CPJ.
Please don’t be like the delusional segment of the GT fanbase that thinks that Bey-Bey Thomas got drafted so high because CPJ “taught him how to block”.
You should have learned by now that trying to get a “gotcha moment” in on me, is like trying to sneak daybreak past a rooster.
WnE
January 24th, 2012
1:38 am
I like wongs shoved in my pie hole
WnE
January 24th, 2012
1:40 am
Big black wongs inserted daily. I love big thick physical specimens probing me.
Corny Hull
January 24th, 2012
6:46 am
As for Hill, one doesn’t just start catching virtually all passes thrown to him just beccause he decides to go to a combine workout. The pro scouts saw what he did in actual games. One can be an Olympic high jumper and a 100 m champion, but if one seemingly drops more passes than catches, what’s the point in his being consideredan effective receiver in the NFL.
IL Jacket
January 24th, 2012
10:15 am
@Really?, did your investigation ever turn up who photoshopped that screen shot from the Outback Bowl of the Georgia fan holding up the “GO DWAGS” sign? Oh wait, you said it was an LSU fan at the SECCG holding up the sign right? How is the investigation going?
Man, you have no credibility-you should be taking a very long timeout. I will credit you though, at least you didn’t hide behind a new screen name. Not that anyone will steal yours now.
kc
January 24th, 2012
2:55 pm
“Ramblin’ On with Chris Boggs »
A Final Ramblin’ for 2010? ”
Why is this link/blog still on the ajc website? 2010? Really?
Tekman
January 24th, 2012
3:28 pm
Keep up the great off season work Jackets we know 2012 will be strong. At least we are not bit__ slapping girlfriends!!
fuzzybee
January 24th, 2012
3:32 pm
Stephen Hill has height, speed, quickness, and
HANDS OF STONE.
reggie ball
January 24th, 2012
11:32 pm
hill can’t catch any better than i can throw!
NC Jacket
January 25th, 2012
10:22 am
Why does everyone on here assume these guys are leaving early because they want to? They are leaving early because they have run out of academic grace. They can’t stay in school because they can’t keep up academically.