12th Man Rising
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Wide receivers the Seahawks should target in the 2020 NFL Draft

By Geoff Shull

PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 16: K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes carries the ball in the first quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 16: K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes carries the ball in the first quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 02: Wide receiver K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs the ball against fullback Alec Ingold #45 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 02: Wide receiver K.J. Hill #14 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs the ball against fullback Alec Ingold #45 of the Wisconsin Badgers in the second half during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Seahawks target three: K.J. Hill, Redshirt Senior, Ohio State

It should come as no surprise that one of the top wide receivers in this class hails from OSU. The school has become a staple in producing quality wide receivers for years. K.J. Hill could prove to be the best to come out of the school since Michael Thomas was taken in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft.

Hill is about as smooth as they come in his route running. His footwork is patient and precise. His acceleration is phenomenal and has just enough speed to break open the route when a little separation is created. His hands are incredibly soft, he has made a few spectacular catches like the one in the video below. When you put it all together, you have a wide receiver that can absolutely torch opposing defenders on just about any play.

Hill has great ball tracking skills and has regularly shown he isn’t afraid to go up for contested catches despite his smaller stature (6’0”, 195lbs). During the Senior Bowl practices, Hill was torching opposing defenders on his routes. He put a few of the nation’s top cornerback prospects on skates. It’s not simply his soft skills that set him apart, it’s also his intellect in his route running. He reads defensive backs like a book; he knows exactly how to defeat them based on the subtle movements they make. Simply put, he is about as dangerous in 1v1 as you can get.

His main drawbacks come from his smaller stature and lack of top-end speed. He isn’t going to burn many players with pure speed alone. The Seahawks typically target wide receivers who run a 4.4, 40-yard dash or better. Hill is likely in the 4.5’s. Fortunately, he has all the other soft skills (footwork, acceleration, and craftiness) and football IQ to be successful. If Seattle can overlook his lack of top-end speed, they could draft my favorite wide receiver in this draft.

Hill’s game reminds me of Amari Cooper coming out of college. Both were considered to amongst the smoothest receivers in the draft. Their route running was clean and created separation through soft skills as opposed to pure speed. If Hill can continue to develop, he has one of the highest ceilings in the draft. The Hawks would be wise to look to pick him up to pair with Lockett and Metcalf.

Player comparison: Amari Cooper

Draft projection: late 2nd round

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