“When you go to enough Pro Days, you know when a guy is fast”
The draft process is over, preliminary draft grades have been dolled out, and rookies have attended their first rookie mini camp. The integration into the team is a slow one, but it allows time for the fanatics of the world to delve deep into the draft class and identify where the diamonds could be unearthed.
One of my favorite podcasts during the pre-draft process is the Bootleg Football podcast featuring former Battle Red Blog writer Brett Kollmann. He’s nurtured a cult-like YouTube and podcast following where he diagnoses plays, expounds on teams or player’s potential, and truly educates viewers with a deep prose of football knowledge and strategy.
On one of his last podcasts before the draft, Kollmann, draft-analyst icon Emory Hunt, and co-host E.J. Snyder pulled from the deep well of prospects to highlight a few of their “sleepers”.
One of which would become Houston Texans sixth round pick, linebacker Jamal Hill. Hill converted to safety in his final season at Oregon, which makes him an intriguing developmental addition to an integral part of the DeMeco Ryans defense.
You can listen to the trio above and I’ll pause here for spoilers but will quote several of the more in-depth pieces down below.
Ready? Cool.
Snyder and Kollmann first admit their relative lack of film study and general familiarity with Hill. That was until Snyder witnessed him run the 40-yard dash at Oregon’s Pro-Day. Hill stood out for his physique, Snyder claiming he’s “built like Adonis” and has long, chiseled featured.
Hunt’s further analysis explains the profile of Hill and the potential upside he possesses:
He was a safety (earlier) in his career. He just moved to LB, this season… it explains the body type and the speed. We know linebackers going to have a little bit more meat on the bone (than a safety). For him, watching him this year as a neophyte… this one is more of a projection. You see guy trying to figure it out on the field. When he’s able to diagnose, he’s able to get downhill, trigger, and just explode into the ball carrier. I tell people go watch his his Stanford game. You’ll get a good idea of the potential he has.
There’s something to be said about a player switching positions. Sure, it’s a risk on top of the already low-likelihood success rate of drafting any player. Conversely, how much upside is there in a sixth rounder who’s played the same position since he was 14 and still lacks technique and awareness? Houston is banking on a player who has the right makeup but needs to be built from the ground-up.
Hunt would go on to outline his film study of Hill and noticed him “constantly communicating, trying to get guys lined up, trying to see what’s going on. In terms of getting from point A to point B he’s explosive in that regard”.
Hunt further lays out where Hill can make the biggest impact. He identifies three phases: core special teamer, a sub-package guy, and a top notch blitzer. Hill’s “athleticism, rawness, and unique abilities” at Oregon in a rotational role stood out.
Kollmann uses Hill’s ability to “potentially excel in new kickoff environment” to take a left turn down the tangent highway to discuss special teams, but it goes to show that Caserio is addressing the changing NFL kickoff landscape to add players that will capitalize on the new rules.
Jamal Hill – core special teamer, kickoff coverage will be more important than ever as the rules change. The prospect of being an elite cover man in the new rules does improve his grade.
When the host claimed that “‘pure size isn’t necessary to the calling card of a linebacker anymore”, it truly signaled that the way teams evaluate linebackers has evolved. Speed is paramount to size and grit, but above all else the position must be a suburb tackler.
E.J. Speed, Quincy Williams, Nicholas Marrow were all mentioned as comparisons. Those players all have made their way being the exceptions to the rule on defense and providing something unique that defensive coordinators can scheme.
When push comes to shove, Hill will be the biggest “project” of this draft class. Finding a guy with size, strength, and speed to play in the middle of the field is as important as anything to this defense. Hill’s progression from pure special teams player to sub-package linebacker and hopefully pass rusher will be an interesting case study for Houston fans to follow over the next several seasons.