LA Chargers: Candidates for WR3 after Andre Patton’s release

K.J. Hill

While Reed has the clubhouse lead, Hill will get his chance to prove himself as well. For the time being, Hill is likely a slot receiver. That’s still an important role though, as the LA Chargers have struggled to find consistency in the slot for a while.

A lot of Chargers fans see Allen when they watch tape and highlights of Hill. I’m not willing to really go that far yet, but that does seem to be what his ceiling would be if everything goes right. One thing he does very similarly to Allen is separation on routes.

Facing single coverage last year, Hill led all Power 5 wideouts with 83% separation. He may not have the speed that so many NFL fans want when looking at receivers, but he can get it done in other ways.

Hill is firmly a slot guy as opposed to WR3 to me. Hill played 93% or more of his routes from the slot each year at Ohio State. He could theoretically do both, but it’s hard to put him over Reed for the time being with the former Virginia receiver having more of a complete game at this time.

In terms of his overall ability, I see Hill as less like a version of Allen and more like a Jarvis Landry type. Cooper Kupp is a comparison I’ve also heard that makes some sense. He’ll be very efficient in certain spots of the game, but it doesn’t feel like he’ll ever be the first receiver on a team in his career.

He’s got the efficiency, but he doesn’t have that raw athleticism needed. If Hill can add a bit towards being able to run deeper routes and take defenses over the top, he’d be a scary receiver. For the time being though, he’s a WR4 candidate with slot potential.