Hill Can Seize His Opportunities When They Come
There's a handful of teams in today's NFL who need a quarterback, and while the Packers' backup in Brett Hundley seems like an ideal future starter to keep an eye on, Taysom Hill made his case during the Packers' Thursday night win over the Eagles.
Rounding out the depth chart of the Packers' quarterbacks beneath both Hundley and second-year undrafted gunslinger Joe Callahan, Hill has become somewhat of a forgotten man ever since Hundley's trade value ascended over the offseason.
Hill, a dual-threat passer at Brigham Young who rushed for over 1,344 yards and added on 10 touchdowns during his sophomore season, isn't going to be taking regular season snaps for the Packers anytime soon. However, if Thursday night was any indicator, Hill is an asset worth developing for potential future trade bait.
Hill entered the game against the Eagles with six minutes left in the fourth quarter, and after being sacked and fumbling the ball, there wasn't much to fawn over up until that point.
Eventually, he'd return and guide the Packers down the field for one last scoring drive, helping increase their lead margin to 15 points with just nine seconds left.
The eight-play, 82-yard drive that ultimately clipped the Eagles' wings ate up 2:55 from the game clock and culminated in a fade route to the left corner of the end zone for 6'6" wide receiver Michael Clark, another hidden gem amongst the Packers' young group.
Hill completed four of five passes for 69 yards on that drive, aided by the 46-yard completion to rookie receiver DeAngelo Yancey, who was the Packers' leading target by the end of the game with 67 yards on three receptions. He finished with a passer rating of 158.3—perfect.
Hill brings a raw skill set to Green Bay, and that was put on display Thursday night in the form of two carries for 14 yards. It's also why he dealt with a handful of unfortunate injuries during his collegiate career.
The Packers want to get the most out of Hill. It'd be difficult to do that if he repeated any of the same misfortunes in the injury department.
His resume includes a fractured leg in 2013, a lisfranc fracture in 2015 and a hyperextended elbow in 2016. Three of his last four seasons at BYU were ended by some sort of injury.
Aaron Rodgers isn't expected to see much work this preseason, so Hill may very well be given all of the late-game snaps he can handle.
His situation behind Hundley and Callahan is less than ideal for a quarterback who has everything to prove and nothing to lose, but for Hill, making the most of his opportunities when they come—and they will—is vital.
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Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].
Comments (14)
katejohn
August 11, 2017 at 02:18 am
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dschwalm
August 11, 2017 at 02:31 pm
Are you a relative of the author?
Ferrari Driver
August 12, 2017 at 02:35 am
Seems a little harsh to give Kate two dislikes. I put one on the positive side for a good effort and jumping in and joining the discussion.
ThxJackVainisi
August 13, 2017 at 10:26 am
Check katejohn's link and you'll see the real reason for the post. Thumbs down from me.
Beffe19899423
May 09, 2019 at 04:20 am
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Yooper
August 11, 2017 at 08:39 am
Taysom Hill had a "Hill" of a game - 82 yard drive for a touch - How many rookie QBs do that - Can't wait for his next opportunity!!!:^)
CJBauckham
August 11, 2017 at 08:39 am
Unfortunately, I think Hill is too old to develop for trade bait. Even with just one yr, he'd be almost 30. Although I do think he could be a solid #2 for a couple years.
Ferrari Driver
August 11, 2017 at 10:00 am
Hill's poise and play surprised me. Decent size, good arm strength, excellent mobility in the pocket and on the run. Good decision on the slide during a scramble/run.
I wish he were 24 rather than 27, but he has the potential to be a keeper. On the other side of the coin, Tom Brady is 40 years old and playing strong. With some injury free play and Hill looks like the kind of guy who will train and remain in good physical condition, he may be able to play for another 10-12 years.
Dzehren
August 11, 2017 at 04:22 pm
Maybe he will land somewhere. It won't be in GB
4thand1
August 11, 2017 at 04:40 pm
Hill turned my head. He didn't look like a rookie.
Jerome Massey
February 21, 2018 at 10:39 am
nice
Jody
March 05, 2018 at 09:22 am
nice one
Beffe19899423
May 09, 2019 at 04:19 am
Whoa quite a lot of wonderful advice!
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