Steady OSU WR K.J. Hill rising up draft boards

K.J. Hill is the epitome of consistency.

The fifth-year senior out of Ohio State had 18 receptions his redshirt freshman season, then had at least 56 receptions the next three seasons. He increased his touchdown total each year, going from one as a freshman to 10 this past season. And he caught at least one pass for 49 consecutive games to close out his Ohio State career.

“If you look at the guys – and he’s not the only one — who have been in our program four or five years, you see a high level of development,” Ohio State quarterback coach and offensive co-coordinator Ryan Day told Lettermen Row. “There’s a lot of reasons for it, but one is because you’re going against great players every day.”

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And, after a solid week of practices at the Senior Bowl, Hill is starting to rise atop various draft boards. Eric Edholm, lead NFL draft analyst for Yahoo Sports, said Hill could be the biggest steal of the 2020 NFL draft, touting Hill’s route running and hands.

“… Hill has the kind of reliability factor you just can’t overlook when it comes to his NFL projection,” Edholm wrote in a Jan. 31 report. “For all the physical marvels in this WR class, there aren’t five wideouts with better hands than Hill. There might not be five better route runners.”

Fanspeak co-owner and On The Clock creator Steve Shoup watched Hill during Senior Bowl practices and came away impressed with the fifth-year senior.

“Hill was one of the best route-runners at the Senior Bowl and showed he’s ready to help an NFL offense even as a rookie,” Shoup said. “He’s a slot receiver at the NFL level, operating as a chain mover in the intermediate range. Hill’s upside is limited, but his floor is pretty high and he represents a safe investment for NFL teams in the mid-rounds.”

Hill finished his senior year with 57 receptions for 636 yards and a career-high 10 TDs. He’s currently ranked as the No. 100 prospect overall in the latest Fanspeak-Steve big board.

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