Former Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill is one of 26 prospects invited to the NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The number of players at the draft is a record for the event. For Hill, it is one more step of a remarkable progression since declaring for the draft Jan. 5. In a draft evaluation Hill requested prior to making his decision, the opinion of NFL executives and scouts was that he didn’t have the potential to be selected in the first three rounds.
However, Hill burst up draft boards with a standout performance at the NFL draft combine, including a 40-yard dash of 4.36 seconds. Hill’s invitation to New York is virtual confirmation that Hill will go in the first round or at least early in the second. Many mock drafts project Hill to be chosen by the San Francisco 49ers with the 30th pick.
The first round of the draft is Thursday, April 26.
The complete list:
Alabama S Mark Barron
Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon
LSU DT Michael Brockers
LSU CB Morris Claiborne
UNC DE Quinton Coples
Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox
Stanford TE Coby Fleener
Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd
South Carolina CB Stephon Gilmore
Georgia OT Cordy Glenn
Baylor QB Robert Griffin III
Alabama LB Dont’a Hightower
Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill
South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram
USC OT Matt Kalil
Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick
Stanford QB Andrew Luck
Boise State LB Shea McClellin
USC DE Nick Perry
Memphis DT Dontari Poe
LSU WR Rueben Randle
Alabama RB Trent Richardson
Penn State DT Devon Still
Texas A&M Ryan Tannehill
Alabama LB Courtney Upshaw
Baylor WR Kendall Wright
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
447 comments Add your comment
FL Jacket
April 13th, 2012
1:29 pm
“I guess hauling in 5 catches for 95 yards against Georgia Tech doesn’t impress anyone. I can’t say I disagree. Your football program is a complete and utter joke.”
Hey dwagfan I wonder if Stephen Hill and Cordy Glenn called one another to fly up to NYC together along with the rest of the other sure-fire 1st rounders that UGA prides itself on producing…
flagboy?
April 13th, 2012
1:30 pm
Pretty funny. there are a lot of guys here with the “way to go!” and all that. . .
probably the same people blasting Hill for leaving early a few months ago.
5150 UOAD
April 13th, 2012
1:30 pm
Taking Bets……Anybody think WnE will be at the game next Friday Night and will come meet some of the other tech fans.
John Heisman.......
April 13th, 2012
1:31 pm
pee-pee envy??? Really wNe, you are the authority when it comes to pee-pees envy……..Tell us how you know……
5150 UOAD
April 13th, 2012
1:37 pm
flagboy..I didn’t think he should go based on the drops he had. I have never doubted his Talent or Ability. I just felt the Film the NFL had to look was not as positive as it could have been. I feared that would hurt him. Hill proved his Ability and Talent to the scouts and that is what matters right now.
Born2Buzz
April 13th, 2012
1:40 pm
That’s an interesting list of players especially when you look at it by position. After 6 DL’s, the next most for any position is 5 WR’s. I’m surprised that there would be 5 WR’s taken in the first round, but you never know. Congrats to Steven for even being invited. That is a huge accomplishment.
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
1:43 pm
Orson Charles didn’t play in a pro-style offense and he wasn’t an ELITE RECRUIT. Wait, what?
5150 UOAD
April 13th, 2012
1:45 pm
HAHAHHAHAH…………George…………..But But But he was the best thing at UGa.
HighTech
April 13th, 2012
1:47 pm
Isn’t it the job of the coaches, George, to get their players ready for the next level? There must be some kung fu pandas coaching at UGA.
WnE
April 13th, 2012
1:48 pm
re:
yeller bug
April 13th, 2012
11:07 am
Tech is a top 5 rushing team nationally. A few tweaks to our passing game will yield huge results. Like a subtle adjustment to a golf swing—you can go from spraying balls all over the place to hittin’em down the middle. I think our air attack is close. If we get our pass completion % up 10 points from 47 to 57%—then we’ll be averaging close to 500 yds of offense every game. Our YPC will drop, but who cares about that–we’ll be moving the chains all game long. Maybe keep TW and Days as run 1st pass 2nd QBs and train Lee to be pass 1st/run 2nd. The goal is to be equally competent in both, but have them start with one and grow toward the other. Implement more high % pass plays–e.g. throw short curl routes to A-backs or whatever. We have the long ball threat and opposing teams respect that–I think improving our short passing game–even just a little will produce the biggest dividends to our offense as it will improve the running game as well.
_________________
Outstanding analysis and very good questions on your part Y-bug.
The problem is, is that any time any “legit question” is asked about GT FB under CPJ’s leadership, you have the usual crew of BLTs that get very defensive and refuse to answer any question and instead attack good GT fans like you that have legit questions.
In another post not long ago I pointed out that at one time GT & CPJ had these 3 WRs on campus at the same time:
Bey Bey Thomas 6-3 235lbs. 4.38 – forty
Kevin Cone 6-2 210lbs. 4.37 forty (track background 400 meters)
S. Hill 6-4 200lbs 4.36 – forty (track background 25-ft long jumper)
With those 3 guys on the roster at the same time GT still never had any “real passing threat” other than high RISK jump ball passes.
Whenever a poster does like you did above and QUESTIONS WHY CPJ doesn’t get more out of his WR talent while they are still at GT, then the attacks come out.
It seems that GT fans like you and me that want to talk CFB & analyze GT FB are in the minority and the majority would rather name-call and attack rather than seriously answer tough questions that are directed at CPJ’s decision making & use of talent.
Once again, very perceptive commentary on your part!
John Heisman.......
April 13th, 2012
1:49 pm
So WnE….Your envy of The Institute is impressive…..Was it the fact that you couldn’t handle the course load or was it that you were turned down when it came to admittance ????….Losers in life should be told early…..Why are you so annoyed ?????…..But thank you for your envy of The Institute…..You’re impressive…….
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
1:50 pm
CMR gets ELITE RECRUITS. Orson Charles played in a pro-style offense not the the triple SLOPtion you bootlicking toady. He will go #1 overall to Indy.
FL Jacket
April 13th, 2012
1:52 pm
flagboy?…
I, for one, knew that his athletic skillset would translate extremely well at the NFL Combine. I was hoping he’d stay because his ability to catch the deep ball is extremely important for our offense to work.
1 4 GT
April 13th, 2012
1:52 pm
I see that Stephen Hill is invited to the NFL draft soiree in NYC. Great news for him! They rarely invite someone that won’t be chosen in the 1st round. Good news for CPJ & GT too. Great pub for the program. GOOOOOOOOOOOOO JACKETS!! GOOOO SH!! THWGeorgie!!!!!
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
1:53 pm
“It seems that UGA fans like me would rather name-call ”
FTFY
WnE
April 13th, 2012
1:56 pm
Ohhh you’ll sssseeeee Mr Heissssman, when I sssshhhhhiines up my Precious and takes it to tailgate…..you;ll sssseeee, you’ll ALL ssseeeee……just like those miserable hobbits, you are…..
FL Jacket
April 13th, 2012
1:59 pm
WnE…quick lesson about the only things the NFL cares about at this point of their careers…
Bey Bey Thomas 6-3 235lbs. 4.38 – forty
Kevin Cone 6-2 210lbs. 4.37 forty
S. Hill 6-4 200lbs 4.36 – forty
Once in the NFL, they’ll get coached to learn the dozens of offensive sets, hudreds upon hundreds of plays, zone route-adjustments, and audible schemes. Things that ZERO college WRs are familiar with because…
A) their coaches are college coaches, not NFL coaches – huge difference in knowledge
B) they’ll get to spend more than the NCAA-mandated 20 hours per week in practice
GT Lee
April 13th, 2012
1:59 pm
answer this tough question, Gollum……WHY DID YOU STALK VAD LEE?????
HighTech
April 13th, 2012
2:02 pm
WnE
April 9th, 2012
3:35 pm
re:
I agree, yeller bug. A true pass threat will open up the run game (option) even more.
______________
Sorry High Tech.
Like I say:
You’re either coaching it or you’re allowing it to happen.
If our passing has been under 50% for the entire CPJ tenure, then our $2.5 million HC is allowing it to happen or he is coaching it with poor instruction of our QBs & WRs & A-Backs.
With the way that S. hill improved so much AFTER getting away from CPJ/GT coaching, there is some proof that maybe GT’s players are poorly coached in the passing game.
Also CPJ has Recruited undersized RBs to fill his A-Back slots and none of them were former HS WRs, if CPJ were serious about GT’s passing game, then former HS WRs/slot Receivers would make better A-Back passing/receiving threats; once again either you’re coaching it OR you’re allowing it to happen.
At the end of day it all falls on CPJ and his poor decisions as GT’s HC.
It is clear that CPJ’s decisions have come back to hurt GT’s passing game and consequently GT’s ability to beat tough teams and win Bowl games.
Once again, heavy on analysis, light on trolling.
———————————————————–
Heavy on self-contradiction, light on substance.
5150 UOAD
April 13th, 2012
2:03 pm
WnE……………The INVITE is still open. Will you come by and see Tech Fans at the Spring game or Tailgate with us at ANY HOME GAME this year? I will pour you all the Jack you want and feed you some Dogs, Burgers, Fish, Ribs, or whatever meal we are serving. NO CHARGE for you since you are a TECH GRAD.
HighTech
April 13th, 2012
2:08 pm
5150 UOAD…I wish I was able to go to the Spring game. I’d take you up on that deal.
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
2:09 pm
WnE seems more like a Cosmopolitan guy to me, 5150.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
GSUStud
April 13th, 2012
2:10 pm
I was shocked when I heard that any Ga Tech player was invited to NYC. The Ga Tech sports program, and especially football and basketball, has declined so much in recent years, they have become totally irrevelant.
WnE
April 13th, 2012
2:12 pm
re:
FL Jacket
April 13th, 2012
10:52 am
Stephen Hill and Justin Blackmon…both 3-star recruits ranked anywhere from 24th to 139th in their respective classes (2008-Blackmon, 2009-Hill).
______________
Back to the CPJ propaganda machine again, for one S. Hill was ranked as a 4* Recruit by at least one of the Recruiting services, so by making it seem like Hill was “just a 3* guy” , then GT fans like you make it seem like he “uber-developed” in to an NFL player by CPJ, which we all know is NOT TRUE.
Also, if Hill & Blackmon are similarly ranked Recruit out of HS as you point out above and Blackmon is SMALLER, SLOWER, and LESS EXPLOSIVE, then please explain WHY Blackmon is expected to go Top-10 and Hill is expected to go 25-32, roughly 15-20 slots LATER than a smaller, slower, less-explosive player at the same position?
This is where CPJ’s system “STEAL MONEY” from the players that he recruits and this is WHY Top Recruits SHUN GT & CPJ.
Had Hill played in Justin Blackmon’s system at OKIE ST, then Hill would be a top-10 or top-5 Draft pick, but by playing for CPJ the smaller, slower WR (Blackmon) is the Top-10 draft guy and Hill, the bigger& faster player is the guy that is projected to go #25-32.
The Recruits that are football insiders KNOW that Hill’s draft projections are based on his SIZE & SPEED and that GT/CPJ had no impact on that, the RECRUITS also know that if they have the “right size & speed” (like Hill), then that combination will YIELD MORE MONEY at other colleges.
The Recruits know that if AJ Green, Julio Jones or Justin Blackmon had played for CPJ then they would have been drafted LATER and therefore gotten less MONEY.
Despite Bey-Bey & Hill that would have been TOP-10 NFL DRAFT PICKS from other colleges with their size/speed combo, despite their successes the Recruits at WR still shun GT & CPJ because they know that what I have written above is true.
The question that my detractors should ask themselves is; WHY does GT still get lowly rated WR recruits with the success of Hill & Bey-Bey in recent years?
It is kind of hard to disagree with me, when the decisions of the Recruits clearly show that they don’t believe that CPJ can get them ready for the NFL.
Does anyone think that Dorial Beckham-Green (sp?) was considering playing for CPJ?
Once again, heavy on analysis, completely VOID of trolling!
John Heisman.......
April 13th, 2012
2:14 pm
SO Precious WnE……..You failed to explain your pee-pee envy and went straight to tailgaiting….So please explain your version of tailgating………Next ball is up to you………Lil Girl……..
FL Jacket
April 13th, 2012
2:14 pm
“I was shocked when I heard that any Ga Tech player was invited to NYC.”
No, a GT player getting drafted in the first round is sort of getting to be a regular occurrence, maybe you should look it up…
“The Ga Tech sports program, and especially football and basketball, has declined so much in recent years, they have become totally irrevelant.”
I love hearing analytically-conclusive statements just like this one!
FL Jacket
April 13th, 2012
2:17 pm
“Once again, heavy on analysis, completely VOID of trolling!”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!! And DEVOID of acceptable grammer!
5150 UOAD
April 13th, 2012
2:17 pm
George are you saying WnE hangs at The Eagle or Bulldogs on game days?
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
2:19 pm
“Back to the CPJ propaganda machine again, for one S. Hill was ranked as a 4* Recruit by at least one of the Recruiting services, so by making it seem like Hill was “just a 3* guy” , then GT fans like you make it seem like he “uber-developed” in to an NFL player by CPJ, which we all know is NOT TRUE.”
So Hill was an ELITE RECRUIT. But Johnson can’t recruit those guys. I’m soooooo confused.
dawgfan
April 13th, 2012
2:19 pm
me and WnE and GSUStud are having a threesome tonite
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
2:19 pm
The Three Legged Cowboy is pretty close, too, 5150.
Again, not judging. It doesn’t bother me.
WnE
April 13th, 2012
2:20 pm
re:
YellerBug
CPJ will now have 2 WR in his short time at Tech to go 1st round in the NFL draft from their JR year. Are these guys peaking at the end of the year and by not having them back for their SR year Tech is not getting the benefit from such talent? Are their stats overrated because they often have just 1-on-1 coverage because the opposing D must focus on the run? Is our below 50% pass competion rate over the last 4 years causing us to have the lack of production in the passing game? Should we track incomplete passes like pitches in baseball—wild pitch or passed ball where we fault the passer (uncatchable pass) or the receiver (dropped ball) to discern the cause for the low completion rate? Is it reasonable to expect a QB who runs and gets hit virtually every play be as accurate as a standard drop back passer? Are our pass routes too difficult—throw more to stationary targets vice crossing and timing routes? We need some answers–for to have two 1st round draft picks at WR yet be as poor in the passing game that we are is not acceptable.
__________________
Outstanding analysis and very good questions on your part Y-bug.
The problem is, is that any time any “legit question” is asked about GT FB under CPJ’s leadership, you have the usual crew of BLTs that get very defensive and refuse to answer any question and instead attack good GT fans like you that have legit questions.
In another post not long ago I pointed out that at one time GT & CPJ had these 3 WRs on campus at the same time:
Bey Bey Thomas 6-3 235lbs. 4.38 – forty
Kevin Cone 6-2 210lbs. 4.37 forty (track background 400 meters)
S. Hill 6-4 200lbs 4.36 – forty (track background 25-ft long jumper)
With those 3 guys on the roster at the same time GT still never had any “real passing threat” other than high RISK jump ball passes.
Whenever a poster does like you did above and QUESTIONS WHY CPJ doesn’t get more out of his WR talent while they are still at GT, then the attacks come out.
It seems that GT fans like you and me that want to talk CFB & analyze GT FB are in the minority and the majority would rather name-call and attack rather than seriously answer tough questions that are directed at CPJ’s decision making & use of talent.
Once again, very perceptive commentary on your part!
_________________
That reply should have been matched to that comment from Yeller bug
WnE
April 13th, 2012
2:20 pm
re:
YellerBug
CPJ will now have 2 WR in his short time at Tech to go 1st round in the NFL draft from their JR year. Are these guys peaking at the end of the year and by not having them back for their SR year Tech is not getting the benefit from such talent? Are their stats overrated because they often have just 1-on-1 coverage because the opposing D must focus on the run? Is our below 50% pass competion rate over the last 4 years causing us to have the lack of production in the passing game? Should we track incomplete passes like pitches in baseball—wild pitch or passed ball where we fault the passer (uncatchable pass) or the receiver (dropped ball) to discern the cause for the low completion rate? Is it reasonable to expect a QB who runs and gets hit virtually every play be as accurate as a standard drop back passer? Are our pass routes too difficult—throw more to stationary targets vice crossing and timing routes? We need some answers–for to have two 1st round draft picks at WR yet be as poor in the passing game that we are is not acceptable.
__________________
Outstanding analysis and very good questions on your part Y-bug.
The problem is, is that any time any “legit question” is asked about GT FB under CPJ’s leadership, you have the usual crew of BLTs that get very defensive and refuse to answer any question and instead attack good GT fans like you that have legit questions.
In another post not long ago I pointed out that at one time GT & CPJ had these 3 WRs on campus at the same time:
Bey Bey Thomas 6-3 235lbs. 4.38 – forty
Kevin Cone 6-2 210lbs. 4.37 forty (track background 400 meters)
S. Hill 6-4 200lbs 4.36 – forty (track background 25-ft long jumper)
With those 3 guys on the roster at the same time GT still never had any “real passing threat” other than high RISK jump ball passes.
Whenever a poster does like you did above and QUESTIONS WHY CPJ doesn’t get more out of his WR talent while they are still at GT, then the attacks come out.
It seems that GT fans like you and me that want to talk CFB & analyze GT FB are in the minority and the majority would rather name-call and attack rather than seriously answer tough questions that are directed at CPJ’s decision making & use of talent.
Once again, very perceptive commentary on your part!
_________________
That reply should have been matched to that comment from Yeller bug
dawgfan
April 13th, 2012
2:21 pm
Heisman, leave my boyfriend alone you meanie
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
2:23 pm
“The Recruits know that if AJ Green, Julio Jones or Justin Blackmon had played for CPJ then they would have been drafted LATER and therefore gotten less MONEY.”
This is the definition of trolling. It’s completely unsubstantiated.
5150 UOAD
April 13th, 2012
2:24 pm
dawgfan
April 13th, 2012
2:19 pm
me and WnE and GSUStud are having a threesome tonite
That will be like what Richard Pryor said about his friend’s Monkey getting on his shoulder and sticking it’s D..k in Richard’s ear.
dawgfan
April 13th, 2012
2:26 pm
5150 you can get on my shoulder and stick yours in my ear
dawgfan
April 13th, 2012
2:28 pm
or my rear
5150 UOAD
April 13th, 2012
2:30 pm
WnE
WnE
WnE
WnE can you READ? Come join us. You can come the the Spring game and you don’t have to have a Ticket.
I know you have SEASON TICKETS to TECH games so please come by during the season if you have something to do Friday night.
WHY will you not JOIN US? You are the most Brilliant College Football Analist I have ever had the privileged to read on these blogs. We would love to feed you and give you drinks just to hear you speak. PLEASE Join Us & impart your wisdom.
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
2:31 pm
He sees it, 5150. Take his lack of response as a badge of honor.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 13th, 2012
2:31 pm
HT, why won’t you be able to attend Friday night?
Supersize that order, mutt
April 13th, 2012
2:32 pm
George, are you going next Friday?
GT Lee
April 13th, 2012
2:32 pm
nice cartoon, Super…lol
Supersize that order, mutt
April 13th, 2012
2:33 pm
@ Lee, I thought you and the others I sent it to would like that. lol
George Stein
April 13th, 2012
2:35 pm
I’ll definitely be at the game. Not sure what time I’ll get down there, though. As of now, my last appointment is at 2:00.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 13th, 2012
2:35 pm
I will send out emails to everybody whose address I have sometime over the weekend to see if we can all get together someplace next Friday. I am meeting up with 1 4 GT on the way up from Augusta, and we are going to meet ole yeller somewhere near the campus for dinner…..probably some place on 5th Street. If anybody else is interested in meeting and has any idea where to do so, email me at supersizeorder@yahoo.com (or my REAL email address), or say so here. It should be a lot of fun.
WnE
April 13th, 2012
2:36 pm
re:
FL Jacket
April 13th, 2012
2:17 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!! And DEVOID of acceptable grammer!
_____________________
Thanks for telling the world what kind of weasely, chicken-crap, pissant that you are.
Can’t talk CFB like the big-boys so you hide behind minutiae like, “you don’t use acceptable grammar”.
My grammar is good enough to about CFB!
Geez!
What a friggin’ douche-bag putz!
In fact my grammar is just as good as one of the super intelligent FB recruits that took hard classes like SURVEY of calculus:
Here see for your self:
Bey-Bey Thomas’ comments about Tim Tebow:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/12/thomas-not-sad-to-see-tebow-go-i-wasnt-getting-no-balls/#comments
Some excerpts:
“It’s a business decision,” Thomas said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “I ain’t going to say I was sad because the only thing they remember is that pass. You gotta go back and look at the rest of the games. I wasn’t getting no balls and you had to make some of these plays where some players were open and he is not making the throws, but I don’t want to talk bad about Tim, but hey I am happy we got Peyton.”
more:
“Everything on ESPN was all about Tim,” Thomas said. “That bothered some players too because they would say ‘Tim Tebow Time.’ I felt like it was a team thing. If it wasn’t for the defense most of the time there wouldn’t be no supposed ‘Tim Tebow Time.’”
_________________
I must be a GT grad and GT fan, with my poor grammar I fit right in with Bey-Bey Thomas, Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury.
“I wasn’t getting no balls” like the former GT FB player that took SURVEY of calculus like to say.
HighTech
April 13th, 2012
2:36 pm
George…5150 has free food and whiskey. Free JD for the JD. I’d take him up on it.
Supersize that order, mutt
April 13th, 2012
2:37 pm
George, I don’t have your email address, so unless you email me, I will have to let you know what plans we end up making here on the blogs. I HOPE to get there and parked and to wherever we decide to eat by 5PM. That should give us plenty of time to eat and get down to the stadium for the pre-game stuff.
HighTech
April 13th, 2012
2:38 pm
yeller bug…you may want to distance yourself from WnE (aka Gollum). GT fans like him (cough, cough) also stalk recruits on Twitter and try to convince them to not sign with GT.