Stephen Hill Pick Approval Rating

One thing is clear. The 2012 NFL Draft will either be known as the Draft that netted the Jets superstars or the Draft that got Mike Tannenbaum fired. The Jets have made two boom or bust picks in the first two rounds. The second was wide receiver Stephen Hill. Hill has elite size and speed but very limited production and pretty much needs to start from square one learning essential parts of his position like route running, which he did none of in college.

Just like last night, it is difficult to have a great feel for this pick because Hill is so difficult to project. He has a much wider variety of realistic outcomes to his career than most picks. The evaluations that led to this pick are unknown. The Jets clearly love not only Hill's athletic skills but also are confident in his ability to learn his craft quickly.

Forget about Braylon Edwards returning now. There is no point in having three receivers with essentially the same skill set in Edwards, Hill, and Chaz Schilens. The Jets could have signed Edwards and gone elsewhere. On the other hand, Hill probably has a much longer shelf life if successful while Edwards would have been a one year fix.

I approve of this pick for now because I can see the upside, but there is no denying this is one that could be either spectacular or a disaster.