His draft wait lasted much longer than expected, but Ohio State's all-time leader in receptions finally found an NFL home in the seventh round.
After 32 wide receivers were chosen before him, K.J. Hill was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 220 overall pick in the NFL draft on Saturday.
Hey @Chargers. You got a STEAL in @KayJayHill
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 25, 2020
Watch the end of the #NFLDraft on NFL Network/ESPN/ABC#GoBucks #DevelopedHere #NFLDraft #Zone6 #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/LLfWOwwec2
Hill becomes the ninth Ohio State wide receiver drafted since 2015.
The only receiver in Ohio State history with more than 200 career catches (201 to be exact), Hill achieved rare consistency during his four playing seasons with the Buckeyes, catching a pass in each of his final 48 games at Ohio State to tie Gary Williams' school record. A reliable target from the slot receiver position, Hill accumulated 2,332 receiving yards and scored 20 touchdowns during his career with the Buckeyes.
Now, he'll bring the same hands and route-running skill that made him a go-to target in the Buckeyes offense to the NFL, where he'll likely continue to play primarily in the slot and do most of his damage as an inside receiver catching short to intermediate passes.
In what's considered to be an unusually deep draft class of wide receivers, Hill's below-average size and speed for an NFL receiver hurt his draft stock. Even so, there's reason to believe Hill should have a productive career at the next level, as he brings a polished game to the league.
Hill should have a chance to compete for immediate playing time with the Chargers, who have two established star receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but no proven options behind him. He'll be catching passes from former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, who they selected with the No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft.
let's rock, @KayJayHill pic.twitter.com/wnxFCXNEZM
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) April 26, 2020
Hill is the ninth Buckeye selected in this year's draft, joining first-round picks Chase Young, Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette, second-round pick J.K. Dobbins, third-round picks DaVon Hamilton, Jonah Jackson and Malik Harrison and sixth-round pick Jordan Fuller. It's the second straight year Ohio State has had nine players drafted.
Hill is the first Ohio State player drafted by the Chargers since 2016, when they selected both Joey Bosa and Joshua Perry. Bosa is the only other Buckeye currently on the Chargers' roster.
