Kylin Hill NFL Draft Prospect Report

RB, Mississippi State

WOW!!!! Seriously that’s my thought about this player. When you watch him play you can’t help but get excited. I’m not sure what his 40 time is, but in 2017 it was reported in the mid 4.6 range. I choose not to believe it because when he has the ball in his hands he absolutely looks like the fastest and most electric player on the field.

Positives

At 5’ 10” 215 lbs. he is sturdy enough to withstand a hit. When I see players try to tackle him, he routinely escapes what seem to be sure tackles. Kylin is most definitely not an easy tackle. That’s a skill I believe will translate to the NFL. As a receiver I see him run streaks and deep down the field routes where he is the QB’s first read. This makes me ponder how good of a receiver he could be out of the backfield. Seeing him line up in the slot from time to time and be split out wide means his coaches have a lot of faith in his ability as a pass catcher. I don’t see why we would question that at all.

Concerns

The biggest area of concern is the lack of film. This is due to him opting out during the 2020 season. Overall, he doesn’t have huge college production numbers. That’s usually a red flag for me, but in this scenario I’m choosing to jump on this players bandwagon. I mean his junior year he did rush for 1,350 yards and fall just short of setting the school record for yards in a season. Some scouts and analysts question his speed. However, he plays so fast that I just want to ignore his 40 time. The film shows burst that allows him to separate quite often. Finally, I see him make the wrong read in pass protection a bit to often. However, I believe some good coaching can go a long way there.

I have a small amount of concern regarding character with Hill as well. He did miss games in college due to suspension, and in today’s world that is always something to look out for. I believe that teams and coaches will do a good job vetting him though. We all mature a little later than is ideal. If he hadn’t been suspended and decided to sit following the incident I think we’d be talking about him in the 2nd round. He will see significant playing time in his rookie season. I see him as a third down receiving back and running out of pistol and shotgun sets. He has the potential to be more if given the chance.

Prediction

When I look at the value of the running back position in today’s NFL, I love the idea of taking a player like Hill in the middle to late rounds rather than draft a Harris or Etienne early on. In the end I think the bang for buck is worth it and Hill has the potential to be seen on the ESPN top ten often! –Ken Noble

Jonah’s Thoughts

How do you overlook a star running back? Not sure, but Kylin Hill has absolutely been overlooked. Hill had Heisman buzz around him before Mike Leach brought in the Air Raid system. Because of that, now he’s a likely day 3 pick. His running style is actually similar to fellow sleeper Larry Rountree III. Hill runs powerfully and has great patience and vision which allows him to hit the right hole and hit it with quickness. He is quick, but not fast, no blazing straight line speed from Hill.

Past Season

As mentioned, this past season Hill barely carried the ball because Mississippi State was running Leach’s pass early, pass often offense. Hill did get to show he can catch the ball, as he tied a school record with 15 receptions in a game. He opted out halfway through the season. This shouldn’t hurt him especially since he wasn’t running the ball anyways. He had 15 carries through three games.

Prediction

I’m going to be pretty simple in my analysis of Hill and say this; he’s an every down back who has the talent to be an NFL starter. I’d be very comfortable taking him in the 3rd round. This is because history has proven you can find starters at running back in the 3rd or later easily. He won’t be taken that early, making him a steal.