Chargers Select WR K.J. Hill With No. 220 Pick in NFL Draft

The Los Angeles Chargers picked Ohio State WR K.J. Hill at No. 220 overall the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Los Angeles Chargers selected WR K.J. Hill with the 220th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Born and raised in Arkansas, Hill attended North Little Rock High School and was a four-star wide receiver prospect. Hill caught 58 passes for 1,023 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus added 386 rushing yards and seven TD on the ground, during his final season with the Charging Wildcats. Hill was a U.S. Army All-American and committed to Ohio State over Alabama and Arkansas.

Fairly quiet during his first season, Hill (6-foot, 196 pounds) caught 18 passes for 262 yards and one TD as a redshirt freshman at Ohio State in 2016. Quiet no longer, Hill led the Buckeyes in receptions as a sophomore, hauling in 56 passes for 549 yards and three touchdowns. After catching 70 passes for 885 yards and six scores, Hill earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors as a junior in 2018.

Hill returned for his senior season with the Buckeyes to again lead the team in receptions, this time pulling in 57 passes for 636 yards and 10 scores. He finished his career at Ohio State as the school’s all-time receptions leader, with 201 catches, and posted 2,332 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns over four seasons. Hill isn’t the biggest or fastest receiver, but is a polished route runner who disguises his patterns and can run the entire route tree.

A shifty open field runner, Hill picks up good yardage after the catch and he was the Buckeyes’ primary punt returner. He is a detail-oriented player and will have a high ceiling working in an intricate NFL offense. Using leverage in close quarters and precise patterns to gain separation, Hill works well in the middle of the field. He has good acceleration and plays faster than his clocked speed. Terrific hands and good body control give him an advantage on contested throws. Hill projects as a capable WR2 and he has a skill set to be a quality NFL starter.

2019 stats (Senior; Ohio State): 636 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns (14 games)

2018 stats (Junior; Ohio State): 885 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns (14 games)

2017 stats (Sophomore; Ohio State): 549 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns (14 games)

2016 stats (Freshman; Ohio State): 262 receiving yards, 1 touchdown (8 games)

Los Angeles Chargers stats to know

• The Chargers’ RBs led the NFL in catches (148) and receiving yards (1,357) while placing second in touchdowns (9).
• Their WRs finished with the lowest number of TDs (8) in the league, which came after scoring 22 touchdowns in 2018.
• Keenan Allen scored six TDs in three straight seasons while averaging 101 catches for 1,263 receiving yards per season.
• LA’s defense finished third in wide receiving yards (2,074) and WR catches (174) allowed.
• The Chargers threw 20 interceptions (fourth most) while also losing 11 fumbles’ which led to them ranking last in the NFL in turnover margin (-17).

Stick with SI.com throughout the weekend for in-depth coverage of the 2020 NFL Draft, including the impact of prominent rookies joining new teams, team-by-team breakdowns, fantasy football and gambling reactions, draft grades and so much more.

NFL Draft Exclusives: Sign up for Sports Illustrated’s newsletters and get the latest NFL Draft coverage, analysis and highlights - delivered right to your inbox.