2020 Raiders Draft Prospect: KJ Hill

2020 Raiders Draft Prospect Profile

Name: KJ Hill

School: The Ohio State University

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 6 feet

Weight: 195 pounds

Stats

Hands

Regardless on velocity and location, Hill makes a similar stab-and-transfer. Granted, he is not going to wow anyone with an overwhelming catch radius, the Buckeye Product makes the catch once, turns and gets downfield. Despite his average frame, he will occasionally display a knack for contact catches.

Speed

Ironically, Hill’s time could actually matter. On film, he appears to possess decent burst and some ability to pull away from corners. Granted, most of his work occured from the slot. Yet, on the outside, his ability to shake coverage could open doors for him.

Agility

More of a stab-and-go, in relation to cuts, Hill uses his nimbleness to evade corners within the concept of the route. After the catch, he may not have superior wiggle, but he possesses the savvy of generating separation.

Route Running

Despite years of a crowded receiver group, Hill honed his craft for patternwork, making good use of his snaps in Columbus. While his yards per catch does not scare anyone, Hill made the most of those catches, especially in the red zone. In the area toughest to get open, he glides across the defender’s face to see daylight. Additionally, he frees himself by breaking off routes when the quarterback looks under diress. With that said, from snap to whistle, Hill works.

Raiders Fit

In a perfect world, Hill would immediately replace Zay Jones. Jones averaged a substandard 7.4 yards per reception. Under those circumstances, he was not worth the draft pick the Raiders sent to Buffalo. Chalk that up to a wide miss and prepare to move on,

Why Hill?

 With continuous second-half failures and a lack of fear from the opposition, The Raiders need a separation. More importantly, the need nuanced route runners. Jon Grudem demands a specificity to his receivers. Running sharp patterns, as Hill frequently illustrates allows him daylight. Now, he may not supplant Hunter Renfrow in the slot, yet he could see reps outside. In various formations, Hill would give Renfrow a counterbalance that teams could not roll coverage solely to his side. As a result, Renfrow and whomever the lead wideout is would see single coverage after a while. Meanwhile, Hill would give the Raiders another set of hands to rely upon. In this offense, only Renfrow and Darren Waller gave Derek Carr ample downfield targets. Why not add a mid-Day Two option? Those three third round picks could loom large.