It's this time of year that people around football start talking about a draft prospect's "upside."
Rather than try to explain what the term means, why don't we just give you an example.
Tye Hill, come on down.
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| Despite his size, Tye Hill proved he was a sure tackler after switching to corner from RB. (Getty Images) |
He was good enough to produce a 100-yard game and good enough to gain consideration as a possible starter down the road. But Hill, a championship sprinter and the fastest man at this year's scouting combine, spoke to a cousin in the offseason and both decided it might be wise to make the switch.
First, there was the injury factor. As Hill pointed out, "you can be in (the NFL) 10-to-12 years at cornerback, and I'm not sure that would happen at running back."
Then there was his future as a track athlete, with Hill convinced he would have to add muscle and pounds to his 5-9½-inch frame to stay at running back.
He wasn't interested.
Then there was an assistant coach at Clemson who recruited him as a defensive back when the coach was at Auburn. He believed Hill had a future at the position, and, after thinking about it, so did Hill.
I guess you know the rest.
"It wasn't hard to accept," he said. "I wanted to try it, and I'm glad I made the decision."
| 2006 Draft Features | |
|---|---|
| Mocks: | Prisco | Judge | Dodd |
| Rankings: | Prisco | Judge | GM Junior |
| Previews: | WR | TE | ST | QB | CB |
| Coverage: | Draft Tracker |
So was Clemson, and, by now, so is a horde of NFL defensive coaches waiting to get their hands on Hill. And that's where this "upside" thing comes in. Hill hasn't played the position long, which means he's still learning. In fact, ask him about it, and he'll tell you he can't wait to sit down with a pro assistant to study the game.
"I still feel I'm a baby at the position," he said. "So there's a lot of 'upside' there."
Ah, there is that word again, spoken by its best example.
"Upside" is pro football's equivalent of a future, and Tye Hill has plenty of it. He's new at one of the NFL's most critical positions, and he's willing to be groomed, molded, coached, you name it, into someone who can shut down pro receivers as he and his teammates shut down Florida State and the University of South Carolina last season.
Neither team scored an offensive touchdown.
The knock on Hill, of course, is his size. He is nearly five inches shorter than Virginia Tech's Jimmy Williams and weighs just 185 pounds. His supporters maintain his size is a non-factor, with Hill playing much bigger than he measures, and they have a point. The guy loves to hit and isn't afraid to tackle.
But talk to any scout or player personnel director who watched him or met him and, sooner or later, they express concern about his height. To his credit, Hill is unfazed.
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"I feel like because (critics) can't find anything else they concentrate on that," he said. "But I haven't talked to one NFL team that's concerned about my size. Not only do I tackle; I lock up. So as far as I'm concerned it's not an issue."
There also is some talk about his hands, with one pro scout telling me he loved Hill but hated his hands. The reason? They're unreliable, he said, and he insisted he wasn't exaggerating.
"That's something I'm going to work on," said Hill, "but I felt as if I played well in coverage the past two years. I think I missed only one interception last year that I thought I should've had. I also feel like anyone who questions my hands should look at what I did in the Senior Bowl."
Hill is scheduled to meet with the New York Jets on Monday and conduct a personal workout for the Chicago Bears on Tuesday. But I know of another club that drafts in the top 15 that considers him its top cornerback and could take him if he's there.
Oh, yeah, it's not interested in a running back.
"If I hadn't made the move, I'd probably be in the same position I'm in today," said Hill, "but I probably wouldn't be taken as high. I made the right decision."
