San Francisco 49ers Mock Draft: Assessing Stephen Hill's Worth as 30th Overall

What will the San Francisco 49ers and general manager Trent Baalke do with the 30th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft?

Will they select Stephen Hill, the 29.3-yards-per-reception wide receiver of Georgia Tech? Or might they use their first-rounder on a right guard, arguably the team’s most significant need?

Will Baalke simply draft the best player available, or what’s known in the “bizz” as BPA? Or will he trade down or up based on value purposes for an offensive lineman, as he has been known in previous drafts to do?

Oh, the prognostication.

For the purposes of this article, let’s dissect the physically imposing and top-five wideout, Stephen Hill, and his viability as the 30th overall pick in the first round for the 49ers.

Todd McShay has San Francisco picking Hill in the first round in his updated two-round mock draft. 

Barring the high likelihood that another receiver-needy team or franchise that believes in his tremendous upside selects him before pick No. 30, what makes Hill such a highly rated receiver prospect in the eyes of McShay and so many others?

It starts and ends with his big-play ability.

The 6'4'', 215-pound Hill caught 28 passes for 820 yards and five touchdowns at a 29.3-yards-per-catch clip, a statistic that led the NCAA. He played in Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense under head coach Paul Johnson that rushed 708 times (Hill had five of those) compared to just 163 pass attempts.   

So from that perspective, when the young man actually was a passing target of quarterback Tevin Washington, he capitalized.

Ignore the fact that he hauled in only 28 passes all year—focus on the most prolific yards per catch that trumped all others in college football.

Furthermore, the yardage associated with his touchdown receptions was phenomenal. Hill’s shortest went for 31 yards, while his longest totaled 82. His five touchdowns averaged out to 64 yards per, for heaven’s sake.

Hill’s blazing speed and enormous mitts foster his big-play and touchdown pay dirt.

He ran the second-fasted 40 time at the combine at an eye-popping 4.36 seconds. More importantly, that straight-line speed translates into his in-game performance. He can snatch the ball at its highest point with his seemingly duct tape-aided hands, shield defenders, make them miss and put the icing on the cake by burning everyone on the field en route to his destination. 

To be fair, Hill is not the most accomplished route runner and commits a bit too many body catches. He’s displayed some drop issues as well. By and large, however, Hill is an awesome play-making talent with incredible upside.

The other pertinent aspect of this equation is his compatibility in the Jim Harbaugh 49ers West Coast offense.

As mentioned, Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson ran the triple option with runs by the quarterback and running backs being the primary mode of attack. That required consistent and effective blocking by the receivers. Hill, for his part, accomplished exactly that, executing crushing blocks on defensive backs and going toe-to-toe with bigger linebackers.

The 2011 Harbaugh-led Niners featured a heavy rushing attack themselves with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. Michael Crabtree—even with all his deficiencies—more than adequately fulfilled his blocking duties, springing Gore and Hunter for big gains. He also functioned as the team’s possession receiver, catching the majority of the underneath passes.

Hill would bring his stellar blocking talents and help facilitate the 49ers run game. As a pass-catching receiver, Hill would utilize his skill set as the downfield asset that would complement the underneath targets, not to mention his height and leaping capability bolstering the team’s red-zone production.

While his route-running abilities hurt his cause somewhat, they by no means do so entirely. Hill runs crisp and effective slants and posts, routes that are clearly utilized in a West Coast scheme.

From another angle, Hill would either form a terrifying tandem with Randy Moss as a deep threat and red-zone weapon, or become his own version of the former All-Pro in case Moss doesn’t replicate his earlier career preeminence.

It can and should be argued that the 49ers greatest need is right guard, and taking a wide receiver in the first round would qualify as a luxury pick. With Crabtree, Vernon Davis Delanie Walker and the signings of Moss and Mario Manningham, one might think the receiving corps is rock-solid.

That thought process also lends itself to the idea of either trading up to acquire a franchise guard in David DeCastro, or trading down to early in the second to draft a Kevin Zeitler, Keleche Osemele or Amini Silatolu.

But framing Stephen Hill in the first round of the draft, he may very well be the best player available at pick No. 30. Team needs in that case would not necessarily factor into Baalke’s decision—he would select Hill because of his value as the best available.

If such a move occurs and Hill maximizes his potential, the boys sporting the red and gold will behave as a veritable wrecking ball on offense.

49er detractors, take notice.