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GENERAL REPORT: 6.26
Body Structure: Hill has a well-developed frame that can add even more bulk without it affecting his adequate quickness. He shows good overall muscle definition, a thick chest, broad shoulders, long arms, quadriceps and calves. He has large hands to secure the pass and the strength to deliver a punishing jolt as a blocker.
Athletic Ability: Hill lacks good timed speed, but he runs with a normal stride and generates a steady build-up in his acceleration. He has enough initial quickness, agility and body control to come off the snap with good blocking form, staying low in his pads while moving his hands quickly to get into the defender's chest. He is strictly a short-area receiver, lacking the suddenness or burst to challenge the deep portions of the secondary. He shows good lateral movement, effective speed and acceleration, above average hands and good ability to find the soft areas and settle in for the pass. Durability is a big issue, as he has missed 16 games his last two years (torn left knee ACL in 2007 and a chest muscle strain and slight tear in 2008). GRADE: 6.4
Football Sense: Hill struggled with academics earlier in his career, but he is a field savvy veteran who compensates for a lack of quickness with good hand placement blocking in-line and a good concept for angling when cut blocking. He learns and retains plays well, showing good football instincts and vision. He's the type that will spend the extra hours studying tapes of his upcoming opponent and on the field he is alert to the quarterback and the action on the field. GRADE: 5.9
Character: Hill has no off-field problems, comes from a supportive family and is very respected by his coaches and teammates. He seems to be on a mission to disprove the thought that he is not durable enough to play at the next level. His quick recovery from his chest muscle injury in 2008 proves that he is a hard worker and will play through pain. GRADE: 6.3
Competitiveness: Hill works hard as a blocker or safety valve receiver in the passing game. He is very aggressive shooting his hands to stall the bull rusher's forward motion and works hard to finish as a blocker. He will compete for the ball in a crowd, but he takes great pride in his ability to block, has a nasty streak that coaches love and will always look for another target to attack. GRADE: 6.4
Work Habits: Hill has good football character. He is a good worker in the weight-room and on the field. He does extra work after practice, spends time in the film room and will lead by example. Whatever the coaches ask from him, there is no hesitation in his approach to that task. GRADE: 6.3
ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.05
Release: Hill might lack timed speed, but he has good initial quickness off the ball and moves with ease coming out of his stance. He shows a solid, clean release, adequate quickness and the ability to avoid defensive linemen on the move. He is not sudden, but does get off the snap quickly. He does a very good job pushing off the defender with his hands to get a clean release vs. the press. GRADE: 5.9
Acceleration: Hill does not have the speed to challenge the secondary, but he has the outstanding size and strength to shield the ball when working underneath. He is just not a good enough open-field runner who can stretch the field. He has adequate short-area acceleration and enough quickness for defenses to constantly keep him accounted in the short areas. He might lack a good burst, but he shows the ability to uncover with awareness on short routes. He is best served on control routes, where he does a nice job of shielding the ball with his size. GRADE: 5.6
Quickness: It is rare to see Hill come off the line with great quickness. While he is not sudden, he shows good short-area acceleration getting into his routes. He runs with a normal stride, but does gather himself when getting into his deeper routes. He has the feet and hand usage to get to the ball in a crowd, doing a nice job of leaning forward to get extra yardage after the catch. GRADE: 5.6
Route Running: Hill might not beat too many defenders to get behind them, but he runs good patterns, has smooth hips and natural feet to get out of his breaks cleanly. He is a good route runner, who will find holes in the zone. He shows good awareness vs. coverage and has enough "con" to sell his routes. He shows decent crispness in his short patterns, but takes soft angle cuts when having to run into the secondary. GRADE: 6.0
Separation Ability: Hill will never be confused for a tight end who is track fast, but his short-area quickness is evident when trying to gain separation underneath. He is more effective on short routes, as his ability to uncover is one of his better assets. He can drag defenders while maintaining focus of the chains. He just lacks the burst and explosion to separate much and has to rely on fakes and strength to do so. GRADE: 5.4
Ball Concentration: Hill is tough enough and has the naturally strong hands to snatch and pull down passes in a crowd. He has good ball concentration and will generally look the ball in when tracking it in flight. He makes good body adjustments to off-target tosses and does a nice job of maintaining relationship with the quarterback, especially when the QB is flushed out of the pocket. He's a physical receiver who has the strength to fight the defender for the ball when asked to catch in a crowd. GRADE: 6.2
Ball Adjustment: Hill might not escape from defenders too well, but he has the lose hips and body adjustment, along with the reach and leaping ability to elevate for the ball at its high point. He shows good ability to adjust to the ball and catch outside his frame. He has good body control and vertical agility, doing a nice job of shielding defenders after the catch. GRADE: 6.3
Leaping Ability: Hill has very good jumping ability, showing a competitive nature working through traffic. He is not the type to hear the defender's thunder (even when he knows he is going to get whacked by the linebackers going over the middle, he shows no hesitation going for the ball). GRADE: 6.0
Hands: Hill is not really a natural hands catcher, as he will use his body as a crutch at times, but it is rare to see him drop the ball. He shows the reach and pluck ability to get to the off-target tosses, good awareness of the sticks and sidelines and looks the ball in well, especially on over-the-shoulder grabs. He does short-arm at times, mostly when working in traffic, but does a good job of securing the ball when he basket catches. His hand punch is enough to shock and jolt the bigger down lineman and he could eventually grow into an offensive tackle due to his frame and hand placement skills. GRADE: 6.3
Run After the Catch: Hill won't win foot races, but he is a very strong runner, just not elusive. He will run at a low pad level, use his body well to secure the ball and generate the leg drive needed to break tackles. He does show good wiggle and head fakes to get the defender back on his heels, but is more known for his ability to drag defenders for extra yardage. GRADE: 5.7
Blocking Ability: Hill is a punishing in-line blocker who shows very good usage of his hands and long wingspan. He is a good mauler, another reason why he could make a nice offensive lineman if his body fills out. He keeps his head up and on a swivel on reach and lead blocks and is a good position blocker who keeps his feet and uses his hands with force to control when working in-line. He gets good movement off the snap when he stays low in his pads, delivering a good hand punch to wall off and turn his man. When blocking upfield, he shows above average intensity and aggression, preferring to punish his opponent. GRADE: 7.5
Compares To: JASON PETERS, Philadelphia -- While this might seem a strange comparison, with added bulk Hill can become a quality offensive linemen. Peters was a tight end during part of his Arkansas playing days and developed into a quality tackle. As a tight end, Hill is strictly a short-area receiver and an extra offensive lineman. Move him to the front of the dining table, beef him up and you might end up with much better value for a mid-round draft pick.
OVERALL GRADE: 6.09
--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas
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