The 2013 Jets will surely prove to be interesting group as the year plays out. The roster is littered with still-present question marks, yet also has patches of talent that could make for a promising future. No matter how you look at it, 2013 could end up being a year of slow growth for the Jets. While it won’t provide high quality football consistently, it will be telling of where the team’s future lies. I’ve been striving for a creative way to break down what players need to step up this year in terms of either production or playing time, but I’ve struggled to find a balance of potential and reality for most of the young players on the squad. It was then that Joe Goodberry (highly recommended football/draft Twitter follow) started his “Top 50 Bengals of 2013″ list. Such a simple idea, yet such a good one. Thus, I stole the idea from Joe and shortened it due to time constraints. There are only a few tips for following the list accurately. First, one must understand that this is not solely based on either pure reputation, talent, potential, or playing time. I tried to compile the list to most accurately show a balance between the player’s importance to the team and overall level of play, while keeping it realistic. Bear with me, as you might be shocked with some of the rankings along the way! #25 Best Jet For 2013: Wide Receiver, Stephen Hill 6’4, 215 lbs 2012 Statistics: 21 Rec, 252 yds, 3 TDs in 11 games. The Jet closest to missing the cut was wide receiver Stephen Hill. The Jets’ 2012 second round selection struggled mightily his rookie year with the Jets. Even before he strained his LCL, which ended his season, the Georgia Tech product couldn’t stay one hundred percent because of nagging hamstring issues that started as early as Week 3. To make matters worse, Hill started to show the rawness he showcased in his junior year immediately after his standout Week 1, two touchdown performance. Simple focus drops and awkward catching techniques hindered him all year, as the talented rookie only caught 16 more passes after his five catch Week 1. Hill’s strained LCL was the dagger in his season, and has slowed his comeback, as he missed the Jets’ first two OTA sessions. Even more concerning, Hill told the Newark Star-Ledger that he didn’t “understand the whole football concept” as a rookie, and went on to admit that the constant New York media’s scrutiny made matters much more difficult, saying, “we’re always on ESPN for something, and it was just a lot. It put pressure on learning…” To put it simply: not many are overly confident in Stephen Hill for his sophomore season. However, I’m putting him on this list because he is bound to get more snaps than his consistency warrants, and his potential could certainly take the opportunity and run with it. Some Jets’ fans might cringe when they see Hill lined up outside with Jeremy Kerley in the slot, but it is a given to occur more than most fans desire it to. At the end of the day, the only receiver with starting potential who is most effective as a primary outside receiver is Santonio Holmes, and he is coming off of a nasty Lisfranc injury that could keep him on the sideline for the early stretch of the 2013 season. Hill will get his chances to grow as a route runner under real game snaps, which is clearly most essential for growth in a receiver. The reason that there shouldn’t be much concern with giving Hill so many reps is because of the season the Jets are ready to endure in 2013. In no way am I saying that the Jets don’t have it in them to surprise and win a fair share of games, but the chances to do so will fall on the shoulders of young, unproven players like Hill. In a telling year for him, he could blossom into a more consistent pass catcher with his game-breaking speed and size downfield. If he doesn’t develop accordingly, then I’m at fault for having the confidence in him to do so. But when all is said and done, Hill couldn’t for more of an opportunity. He probably would probably be buried on a top NFL team’s depth chart in 2013, but the Jets’ window to give their young talents chances to run with will give Hill a chance at re-writing the script. As you can guess from him making this list over quality role players like Bilal Powell, Antonio Allen, and Antonio Garay, I believe Hill will make significant strides in his consistency this year. The 6’4 receiver was blessed with 4.36 type speed, and he has long strides that give him excellent acceleration. He lacks consistent physicality when passes are contested, and his body control can range in consistency, as well. The tall target’s route tree also needs some enhancement, as he’s currently limited to go routes and variances of deep posts. His out routes, hooks, and comebacks all lack consistent explosiveness within their cuts to gain necessary separation from defenders. Overall, Stephen Hill is a talent that we have knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses, but his limited time in 2012 when he was under pressure and often hurt has clouded our guesses on which talents of Hill’s will be displayed in 2013. Yet, the fact that I could definitely see myself making this list next year and confidently placing him near the top ten due to respectable development and a breakout year has him hanging on to the last spot on our list.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:47:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015