New York Jets Rumors: David Nelson will start over Stephen Hill?
Justin Rogers (26) tips away a pass for New York Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill (84) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets second-year wide receiver Stephen Hill was an extremely raw second-round pick out of Georgia Tech in the 2012 draft, and he’s been a disappointment since then. Hill has an incredible mix of size and speed, and he still has plenty of upside due to his raw athletic ability. But athleticism means nothing if you don’t know how to use it correctly in the NFL, and Hill has been a massive disappointment to this point in his career due to bad drops and subpar route-running.
Hill wasn’t exactly helped by uneven quarterback play from Geno Smith against the Buffalo Bills, but that’s no excuse when even Greg Salas outproduced Hill. In fact, Hill didn’t even secure a catch, and he’s been incredibly prone to “goosegg” outings in his career. Hill is as inconsistent as they come, and a bench seems to be in order.
According to ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini, Rex Ryan stated that benching Hill for David Nelson “will be a consideration”, and it honestly seems like Hill’s benching is a likelihood. The 22-year-old has caught just 23 passes this season, and he hasn’t had 50 receiving yards in a game since going off for 108 in Week 3 against an extremely hobbled Bills secondary. Nelson, on the other hand, is a consistent slot receiver who has averaged more receptions per game than Hill. He’s not a truly good option, but he’s been better and more consistent than Hill.
The Jets are running some sort of a committee at the wide receiver position, and one player to keep a close eye on is Greg Salas, who could be a diamond in the rough for the Jets. Things will get better once Jeremy Kerley comes back, but they certainly won’t get better for Hill.