Tyreek Hill describes his growth curve into All-Pro wide receiver for Chiefs

Tyreek Hill recently spoke to Chiefs team reporters about his growth as a wideout.

When the Kansas City Chiefs selected Tyreek Hill in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, they had no way of knowing how well the pick would turn out to be for the franchise. If so, they would have traded up to get him in the first round overall.

Credit goes to then-general manager John Dorsey for having a vision for Hill in the first place, but it’s also true that the Chiefs didn’t even take Hill as their first receiver in the draft. Instead that happened in the fourth round in the same class when they selected Demarcus Robinson from the University of Florida. Perhaps that’s why Hill has played with such a large chip on his shoulder.

Ever since he entered the NFL, Hill says he was labeled as a one-trick pony, yet another speedster to enter the NFL hoping to profit off of his ability to run faster than everyone else. While that remains true today—that Hill is indeed the league’s fastest player—he’s worked very hard in order to round out his game. In fact, he’s elevated himself so much through his intelligence and work ethic that he’s now in the conversation for best overall wide receiver in the NFL.

Hill recently spoke to Matt McMullen and Mitch Holthus of the Chiefs organization about his growth curve in the league.

"“I really take criticism the wrong way from a lot of people, because, like you said, when I first came into the league, a lot of people was like, ‘Oh, he’s just another fast guy.’ So I took it to heart and thought, ‘I’m going to be different.’ I wanted to be different from any other speedy guy. I wanted to be able to block, to make tough grabs, to be able to run every route on the route tree. I worked my butt off each and every offseason to grow as a player in every aspect of the game.”"

After making the Pro Bowl in his rookie season for the Chiefs as a gadget offensive weapon and returner, Hill made the full-time transition to receiver in 2017. Questions were asked about the Chiefs plan for Hill, which meant taking a hit on special teams, but Andy Reid knew what he was doing. The Chiefs have been rewarded for their belief in Hill ever since.

Through his first four seasons, Hill has averaged 1,154 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns every year, with receiving averages of 70 catches and 1,029 yards. He set the Chiefs single-season receiving record with 1,427 yards in 2018, the same year that Patrick Mahomes threw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in his MVP bid, and has earned four Pro Bowl invitations in four seasons.

Moving forward, the Chiefs have rewarded Hill financially with an extension that runs through 2022 as one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts. It’s a testament to the hard work and focus displayed by Hill so far with the knowledge that the West Alabama product will only continue to get better.