Kansas City Chiefs: Comparing Tyreek Hill and Dante Hall

A Controversy Turned Pro Bowler

Kansas City took a chance in the 2016 draft when they decided to select Tyreek Hill, a controversial player from Oklahoma State/West Alabama. Hill was a versatile athlete that was used all over the field in his college career, mostly as a returner. His speed was his biggest asset and it showed whenever he had the ball in his hands, but his size limited him in his given position at running back. Hill did not put up big numbers in college, but he ran a 4.24 40-yard dash time at his pro day prior to the 2016 NFL Draft. This opened up the eyes of a lot of NFL scouts, but there was one glaring issue with Hill.

In December of 2014, Hill was dismissed from Oklahoma State after being arrested and charged with domestic abuse. After pleading guilty to these charges, Hill was put on a three-year probation but was allowed to continue to play college athletics. He enrolled at the University of West Alabama, and played out his senior season as a Tiger.

After Hill was selected by the Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the organization received a lot of criticism for selecting a player with that kind of history. Fans tweeted their disgust of the selection and questions were raised about whether the Chiefs’ organization cared about character. But Hill was moving on from the arrest and focused on one thing: football.

In 2016, Hill proved his worth on the field. Contributing right away on offense and on special teams as a punt/kick returner as a rookie gave him a chance to show off his blazing speed. He scored his first career touchdown on a bubble screen against the San Diego Chargers and used his speed to continue his success. Hill had 3 total return touchdowns his rookie season, with two more that were called back by penalty. Tyreek Hill had put himself on the map as the fastest player in the NFL.

Hill established himself as not only a return man, but a reliable down-field receiver as well. Going into the 2017 season, the Chiefs had question marks at the wide receiver position, as the Chiefs surprisingly cut Jeremy Maclin after the 2016 season. But the coaching staff had complete faith that Tyreek Hill could take over as the top receiver, and he didn’t disappoint. Hill posted a 1,000 yard receiving season along with 8 total touchdowns, one being a punt return.

Tyreek Hill has proven himself in this league, and earned his spot on the Chiefs’ roster. He has shown the league not only that he is fast, but can be a Pro Bowl wide receiver as well.