T.Y. Hilton's Versatility Making Him a No. 1 Receiving Option for the Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have been blessed with excellence at the wide receiver position for nearly 20 years.
After drafting Marvin Harrison in the 1996 NFL draft, the Colts watched a Hall of Fame career explode over the next decade, as Harrison and Peyton Manning became the most prolific QB/WR duo in NFL history. But it didn't end there: The Colts drafted Reggie Wayne in 2001, a receiver that grew up under Harrison and eventually took over as the Colts' No. 1 receiver as Harrison's age and injuries took their toll. Wayne is now poised to surpass many of Harrison's career numbers.
There have been others in Indianapolis who have grasped at greatness but couldn't quite make it stick.
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Brandon Stokley made a pit stop in Indianapolis, but he was more of a replaceable cog for Manning to insert in his offensive juggernaut rather than the next focal point.
Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie both flashed the type of talent needed to put up staggering numbers with Manning, but injuries cut short each receiver's career.
The Colts' drafted Pierre Garcon in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, while it took him a good three seasons to round into his own. But, wanting more money than the Colts' new regime wanted to give him in 2012, Garcon left for Washington. Now, while a very good receiver in his own right (he led the league in receptions in 2012, for example), Garcon remains stuck in the quarterback purgatory that is the Washington Redskins. Besides, even if he did become his own superstar, it wouldn't be for Indianapolis.
With Garcon leaving and Wayne continuing to age, it seemed that the Colts' streak of stand-out receiving performances was nearing something that dangerously resembled an end.
But then the Colts drafted T.Y. Hilton in the third round of the 2012 draft, moving up from the top of the fourth round to pick No. 92 to draft the 5'9" receiver from Florida International. Despite his size, or lack thereof, Hilton took the leap in his second year, becoming Andrew Luck's favorite target while Reggie Wayne recuperated from a torn ACL.
Now in his third year, Hilton has fully wrested the mantle of No. 1 receiver from Wayne, becoming the Colts' week-in, week-out leader in targets, while also possessing the speed to be their most dangerous big-play threat.
In Week 6, he saw the biggest game of his career, not counting his stellar game against the Kansas City Chiefs in last year's playoffs. As usual, Hilton was his game-breaking self against the Houston Texans, showing just how versatile he has become. No longer is he a boom-or-bust receiver, a big-play threat but little else. Hilton is a bonafide No. 1 receiver, and Luck is utilizing him like never before.
Here we look at that game against the Texans, and look at the different ways that Hilton has rounded into an every-down threat, no matter what his stature is.
The Catch Point
The one area where Hilton has made great strides since his rookie year is his hands.
In 2012, Hilton finished 79th out of 82 qualifying receivers in drop rate, dropping over 16 percent of his catchable targets, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This season, he leads Indianapolis with a drop rate of less than five percent, which is in the top third of all qualifying receivers.
But Hilton has a surprisingly flexible and reliable catch radius for a receiver his size, and it was on full display against the Texans.
On Hilton's first big play of the game, he showed incredible focus and flexibility, bending his head back nearly 90 degrees as he tracked Luck's rainbow—instead of over his shoulder—directly over his helmet.
Not only is Hilton able to bend his body back, keep his balance and keep moving away from the defender—a feat in itself—but he manages to find the ball above him and secure the catch.
Hilton's later deep catches would include a fully-extended, over-the-shoulder grab and a touchdown where he leaped in front of the defender to win what was almost a jump ball.
It was a bit reminiscent of his catch over Brent Grimes last season.
All that at 5'9".
The height can be a blessing for him as well, as he's proven adept at going to the ground for passes, as he does for this slightly-errant throw from Luck in the first quarter.
Hilton isn't a Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson or Alshon Jeffery at the catch point, but for a small receiver, he does a very good job of "going to the ball" and Luck has the confidence in him to throw him the ball in the smallest windows, which leads us to our next point.
Chemistry
There is no quality more important to a QB-WR duo than chemistry and boy oh boy to Luck and Hilton have chemistry.
Luck's deep ball isn't the best in the league, but he knows Hilton's speed like no other, and can generally time his balls to Hilton precisely where they need to be.
Whether it was the perfectly placed rainbow on Hilton's first deep ball, the strike over the middle on the second big play or the ball to beat double coverage on Hilton's touchdown, Luck anticipates Hilton's speed perfectly.
Look at where Hilton is when Luck throws the ball, versus where he and the defenders are when he catches the ball. Give credit to both Hilton (for outrunning the defense) and Luck (for the perfectly placed pass) individually, but also for their uncanny connection. Compared to that of, say, Luck and Hakeem Nicks, and the difference is stark.
Consider this pass on a bit of a shorter route, for example.
The Texans are in Cover 2 Man, with a slight lean toward Hilton's side (the strong safety retreats over the top of Hilton immediately after the snap). On 3rd-and-9, Luck knows that Hilton's his likely target if it's man coverage, with the middle of the field cleared out by Wayne and Fleener's routes.
Hilton doesn't gain a ton of separation, but Luck knows his cuts and speed well enough to thread the needle for the first down.
An Underneath Receiver
This is related to chemistry as well, but more so on Hilton's side than Luck's. Throughout this season, Hilton has shown noticeable improvement at finding holes in the zone, something that has made him a reliable possession receiver for Luck and Co.
Take this play on 2nd-and-7, for example.
Hilton is running a 10-yard "Dig" route across the middle, and rather than cutting and accelerating hard across the field, Hilton accurately assesses the Texans' zone coverage. The weak-side linebacker and slot corner drop off Hilton and float to the left and Dwayne Allen comes across the field, while Hilton slows his route and breaks slightly toward the line of scrimmage, settling into a wide-open zone for Luck to hit him in for a first down.
That, combined with his improved route running as a result of Wayne's tutelage, has resulted in Hilton being frequently open on underneath and intermediate routes, even on third down.
| 2012 | 55 | 31 | 53% | 26 | 11 | 42% |
| 2013 (7 games) | 18 | 9 | 50% | 16 | 5 | 25% |
| 2014 (6 games) | 21 | 12 | 52% | 18 | 12 | 50% |
Reggie Wayne has traditionally been the Colts' third-down security blanket, but Hilton has become just as reliable for Luck in 2014.
With the speed to take any catch the distance, defenses have to play Hilton tight to prevent yards after the catch, which opens up the deep ball later on. As the Colts' offense and Pep Hamilton continue to learn and evolve, don't expect Hilton to go away any time soon.
What we're finally seeing is the full realization of Hilton's potential in this offense, and as he continues to get targets, he'll continue to produce.
Currently, he's on a torrid pace, set to finish with 107 catches and 1,611 yards, marks that would finish in the top five in single-season marks in franchise history. He's fifth in the league in catches and fourth in receiving yards, leading the Colts in both categories.
The torch of great No. 1 receivers in Indianapolis, which Reggie Wayne was forced to relinquish due to injury last season, is now squarely in Hilton's possession. This is the season that confirms the transition. Wayne isn't gone, and he'll have his games where he reminds us how special he is, even at 36.
But Hilton is not only the future but also the present.
All statistics and snap counts come from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) and Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted. All training camp observations were obtained firsthand by the reporter unless otherwise noted.
Kyle is an NFL and Indianapolis Colts analyst for Bleacher Report and the editor-in-chief of Colts Authority. Follow Kyle on Twitter for more stats, analysis and general NFL analysis.
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