Continuing with the wide receiver theme, this just in from Jason Hill: "They are getting a big-play receiver," Hill said after the 49ers took him with the No. 76 overall selection in the third round of the NFL draft. "They can definitely count on some big plays from me. I plan on not playing like a third-round pick; I plan on playing like a top-10 pick."
Scout.com had a rundown on Hill and how they think he'll fit into the 49ers scheme. There projection is a little weak:
Ya think Captain? While the 49ers have obviously had issues with mercurial receivers in the past, I have to say I like the way Hill carries himself. He seems to have a chip on his shoulder that I think could lend itself to him making an impact.
My least favorite NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock had this to say about Hill:
To which Hill responded: "He's a hater...You can ask any (defensive back) I played against, they'll definitely say I played them fast. You don't score 32 touchdowns in the Pac-10 not playing fast."
While I don't think the 49ers need a highly productive year from Hill to win the division, he could definitely provide some fire power as a sleeper pick. With Jackson, Lelie and Battle established as our initial 1-2-3, I'm really excited to see how the preseason battle shakes out between Hill and Brandon Williams (do we even count Taylor Jacobs and Bryan Gilmore in that battle?). I think Hill and Williams will get as much playing time as anybody to show what they can do. Hill is a rookie and Williams is practically a rookie in terms of being a wide receiver. He didn't catch a single pass last year, playing more on the special teams side of things. Both have tremendous upside and I am curious to see how it plays out this pre-season.