What is the Deal With Georgia Tech Wide Receivers? Stephen Hill Is the Latest to Show Freakish Athleticism

Today’s combine featured the fantasy football lineup of quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs, and outside of the two star quarterbacks, I’m not sure anyone had a more notable showing that Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech. Michael Floyd ran a solid time that ensured he would be viewed as a mid to late first round prospect, while Kendall Wright of Baylor ran a slower time than expected (4.61 official). Justin Blackmon, expected to be the first receiver taken participated in some drills but did not run, while Alshon Jeffery, another possibility in the first round, who weighed in at Indianapolis to dispel rumors, did not participate in any.

Stephen Hill went out and ran a 4.36 in the forty yard dash, put up the highest vertical jump, did well in the three cone drill, and showed well in the receiver drills. The knock against Hill was his consistency and involvement in an option offense at Georgia Tech that did not ask him to do a lot of advanced routes. He made only 28 catches in that offense and averaged 29 yards a catch. Of course, we have now seen that offense somehow produce Calvin Johnson as a star receiver [ed. Johnson did not play under the same triple option offense under Paul Johnson], and saw Demaryius Thomas get drafted by Denver in the first round and begin to emerge last year, including combining with Tim Tebow for the game winner in overtime of the wildcard game.

Running a 4.36 is impressive. The fact that Hill is 6’4″ and can do that will cause him to get a look in that tier right behind the first round prospects, and probably shot him up into the late first or second round range. Here’s a couple of his few catches last year, an impressive one against North Carolina along the sideline and one against Clemson.

[photo via US Presswire]