Justice Hill, Oklahoma State
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 198 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.40 seconds
Vertical Jump: 40.0 inches
Broad Jump: 130 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
It’s going to be difficult to describe Hill as much other than a change-of-pace running back knowing that he weighed in less than 200 pounds at the Combine, though that’s not to say he can’t be a very good one. He destroyed the athletic portion of the Combine, finishing with the fastest 40-time, highest vertical jump, and longest broad jump. Athletically, he couldn’t be any better.
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His usage at Oklahoma State suggests he can be more than a change-of-pace back, as he totaled a massive 681 touches in 36 career games while there. That’s 18.9 touches per game and quite a bit of wear-and-tear on his smaller frame. He did score at least one touchdown in 20 of his final 24 games at Oklahoma State, so he can perform on the goal-line, too? Was it all a product of the offense and will it translate to the NFL?
Vision/Awareness: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Will sometimes trust his speed a bit too much to the edge in one-on-one situations, which essentially makes life easier on the defender, taking away 50 percent of the field. Everyone will get faster on the next level, making it a bit tougher on him. Once a hole shows up, he’s hitting it with full speed, showing little hesitation, though he doesn’t necessarily create when nothing shows up, often getting tackled for a loss on those plays. In short yardage situations, he’s not going to lower his head and gain a couple yards, as that’s not the type of player he is. His vision will look elite when he beats a defender to the edge for a touchdown, but it’ll look really bad if he gets tackled for a loss while bouncing a run outside on 2nd and goal. To summarize his vision/awareness: He can clearly see holes, but won’t create much on his own, and won’t heavily adjust his approach based on where the team is on the field.
Elusiveness (twitch, juke, tackle-breaking): 3.5 out of 5 stars
He can plant his foot in the ground and cut-back very well, though he’s smart enough not to do it too much, as he uses his speed much more often. But when he does move laterally, he’s going to make people miss. He’s not going to be breaking many tackles in the NFL, as he’s much more slippery than anything. You need to get him in space, as he can get tackled by a shoelace. I wanted to give him a higher elusive rating, but part of his elusiveness is tied to his speed, which obviously got a good grade.
Speed: 4.5 out of 5 stars
He’s not just fast, as he’s got plenty of burst right out of the hole, which allows him to work well out of the shotgun. He’s essentially shot out of cannon once handed the ball. You won’t be left wanting more when watching him burst through holes on the field. While his 40-time was rock-solid, there were times where I saw him get caught in a race, so his top-end speed may not be truly elite, though it’s hardly a concern.
Pass-catching/Pass Protection: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Can be lined-up in the slot to create mismatches. Also watched him improvise when his quarterback was scrambling, even if he didn’t get the ball as often as he should’ve. He can run routes and should be able to provide a stud utility player if he falls into a smart coordinator’s lap. My conclusion is that he was severely underused in the passing game at Oklahoma State and can do damage in the NFL. He looks lost in pass protection, though it’s unlikely he’ll be asked to stay in and block at just 198 pounds. There were times where he missed his assignment completely, while lowering the entire top half of his body (including his head) on others. He’s not a good blocker.
Versatility: 3.5 out of 5 stars
He’s not someone you want on the field in third-and-short situations, as he’s not going to move a pile and he’s going to have a tough time falling forward with minimal weight. He is, however, someone who can be used as a swiss-army knife all over the field. He is a perfect fit for most NFL teams today with how often running backs are utilized in the passing-game. He may not be someone who you want handling 20-plus touches per game, but he can step-up in a pinch, as he’s shown durability in his time at Oklahoma State where he tallied 20 or more carries 13 times.
Potential Landing Spots
Like I’ve mentioned above, he’ll fit in a lot of offenses in today’s game, but some of the ideal landing spots for him would include the Chiefs and Texans. The Chiefs believe Damien Williams can handle a workload, though he’s never totaled more than 13 carries in a regular season game and have Carlos Hyde on a one-year deal. The Texans are going to be in three-wide sets very often, which should allow production underneath to someone. And lastly, the sleeper team in the mix is the Patriots. They’re missing a lot of receiving options and knowing how well Tom Brady uses his running backs in the passing-game, Hill would fit right in, and it’s not like James White is getting any younger.
NFL Comparison
You’ll hear a variety of comps for Hill, but my best comparison would be a cross between Reggie Bush and Giovani Bernard. He’s not quite as big and elusive as Bush was, but he’s nearly as fast and should be used in a similar fashion. I threw Bernard in there because he’s a smaller back who was able to handle a bigger workload when necessary and had some strong juke to his game, but he’s probably best-served as a timeshare running back. There’s little doubt in my mind that Hill can be a productive player in this league, though he’s going to need to find the right team.
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.
