Peyton Hills V. Jacob Hester

by John Bena on Jul 17, 2008 9:25 AM MDT Comment 15 comments

VERSUS

Last night on MHR Radio, I talked at length about Peyton Hillis, and how psyched I was about the prospects of him making an impact as a Denver Bronco. Then BroncoBear wrote an excellent FanPost which I promoted to the front page singing the praises of Hillis.

I was going to put this in the comments of that post, but wanted it to have it's own separate space. I'm looking for your help. To me, Jacob Hester is the same type of player as Peyton Hillis. Sure, Hester was used more as a running back by LSU, but look at the attributes -

Peyton Hillis -

Height: 6-03/4 | Weight: 240 | 40-Time: 4.58

Jacob Hester -

Height: 5-105/8 | Weight: 226 | 40-Time: 4.62

Hillis is bigger and faster than Hester. Obviously, the San Diego Chargers, who drafted Hester early in the 3rd Round felt differently. Over 150 players were drafted after the Chargers took Hester, while Hillis waited. What was the reason?

BroncoBear mentions Scott Wright, and I am a big fan of his site - NFLDraftCountdown.com. Wright ranked Hillis the #1 FB on the board, specifically stating that Hillis would be perfect in the West Coast scheme - Non-traditional, West Coast fullback who can contribute in a number of ways - Sounds like a perfect fit.

Meanwhile, isn't as high on Hester, whom he calls "jack of all trades, master of none"

This is going to be fun to watch over the next several years as Hillis and Hester meet twice a year. I'm interested to hear from DaBolts or any other Chargers fan what Hester's role in SD will be. He's not the power fullback, in the mold of Lorenzo Neal, nor is he the basher runner in the mold of Michael Turner.

Over 150 players were picked between Hester and Hillis, yet Hillis is bigger and faster, and that is before the added bulk. I think the Broncos got a steal with Hillis and I am psyched!

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

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I like the fact that he was drafted in the 7th round.....

very cap friendly.

Wasn’t Hester injured at different times at LSU?

fader nation is a conquered nation

by mdierk on Jul 17, 2008 10:11 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Hester

From what I know, the reason the Chargers took him is that he is a ‘football player’. He is not going to be the fastest or the strongest, but he has the vision and instincts that make him more than he appears statistically. Hester is also the Swiss army knife of Backs for the Chargers, backing up at FB or half back, in camp they even put him in the slot. For the Bolts offense I think that versatility lends itself to a lot of deception. When LoNeal came in the game you knew it was a running play and could bet it would be to the left. As great a blocker as he was he didn’t catch the ball well. With Hester you can start off with a fullback, move him to the slot, LT can catch too, so all of a sudden you have a multiple of threats to run or receive, it makes it much harder to anticipate that run left and put eight in the box.

There is some value to having played for championship team that put him under pressure; his coaches said he didn’t want the ball, he WANTED the ball. He also has a great reputation as a team leader and team player too. He was reportedly a demon on special teams. Ultimately this came down to AJ seeing him play and just having a feeling that this kid was going to be something special; he may not become a starter but just the number of roles he fills as backup FB, HB, and special teams player may open up a roster spot on a very crowded roster. The Broncos may well have found a steal in Hills, but I can’t help but like what I hear about Hester.

"He's doing everything a receiver would do except catch the ball." Mike Shanahan

by Brian (DaBolts) on Jul 17, 2008 12:35 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs

Exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks DaBolts….And make no mistake, my thought process comes from the angle that Hillis was an incredible steal more than Hester was a reach. At least we both hop that’s the case…..

Thanks for the insight!

-TSG

www.milehighreport.com

by John Bena on Jul 17, 2008 12:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

sounds good

I wouldn’t try to make you defend the pick, and he sounds like he’ll be contributer, and that’s a point that’s often missed when successful teams draft.

The Hester pick just struck me as odd, though. I would have been unhappy if the Broncos used that high a pick on a FB. I haven’t changed my opinion because of who did the drafting, I’m just saying that’s how I see it, and we’re often wrong about picks anyways.

by Colinski on Jul 17, 2008 4:27 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

DaBolts has a good point and is kind enough not to tell us...

that the Chargers have been a great team the last two years and we have been in disarray. They must have been looking for an offensive version of the Karl Mecklenburg yoke, knowing, with their standing tallent, they could afford it..

Hester should do well for the Chargers as a change-up, ‘why is he there’ player. I think, however, that Hillis is a much better, ‘pure,’ Full-back. I am very high on Hillis. He fits well into our zone-blocking scheme. In la-la-land he is a nice piece in the Selvin gets 2000 yards puzzle.

by Mike Clark on Jul 17, 2008 4:49 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

While I agree...

to a point, you can only go so long replacing guys like Michael Turner and Lorenzo Neal with players like Jacob Hester. A team full of hard workers won’t win a Super Bowl. The Chargers are still the most talented team, but the window stays open only so long…

-TSG

www.milehighreport.com

by John Bena on Jul 17, 2008 9:18 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

True...

but, haven’t we, for a large part, done the same thing this year?

by Mike Clark on Jul 18, 2008 7:10 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

what guru means

is you have to keep adding high level talent, whether you are drafting early or finding diamonds like Nalen, Sharpe, TD, etc.

The workers are good, but at the NFl level, they are sitting ducks for the elite talent in the league if they aren’t complemented by young guys like DOOM, Cutler, Marsh all stepping in….and the Chargers window is closing on the talent that got them into this discussion.

Mountains, forest, sea: these render man fierce, but yet do not destroy the man.

by Jeremy Bolander on Jul 18, 2008 7:14 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

To clarify

Hillis, Barrett, Royal and Clady have the makings of high talent draft picks, while the rest definitely qualify early as highgh character/work ethic type of guys. Of course, it is way to early to tell, but initial impressions certainly seem that way.

Mountains, forest, sea: these render man fierce, but yet do not destroy the man.

by Jeremy Bolander on Jul 18, 2008 7:16 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I understood Guru...

SD must have seen something in Hester that met a specific need, or, there could be another explanation. It could be the beginning of Norv dismanteling another good team.

by Mike Clark on Jul 18, 2008 7:35 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

another angle

is that SD has now consistently missed picking in draft sweet spots several years in a row due to the elevated play of their talent. They lost a recent pick on the supplemental draft, which I never think is a good idea, and had fewer picks and thus less leverage this year than in years past.

Smith looked like a good G.M. when his team was last place in the AFC West and he was stockpiling ubertalents and top ten picks. Now he has to prove that he can evaluate those first 3-4 rounds without the benefit of picking in the top 3rd of teams.

Mountains, forest, sea: these render man fierce, but yet do not destroy the man.

by Jeremy Bolander on Jul 18, 2008 7:41 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

by Mike Clark on Jul 18, 2008 8:00 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes and No

We had no second rounder this year, but we got Chambers; that’s excellent value in my book. This was a thin draft, but the roster is fairly well set. I am looking forward to next year when we have eight picks stocked up. The jury is out on Oliver whom we got in the supplementary draft, but he cost a fourth rounder. I think AJ has shown considerable ability in the lower end of the draft:

2005
Luis Castillo – first round (27)
Vincent Jackson – second round (61)
Darren Sproles – fourth round (130)

2006
Antonio Cromartie – first round (19)
Marcus McNeil – second round (50)
Jeromey Clary – Sixth round (187)

2007
I’m not going to put Weddle here because was in the top third of the second round.
Anthony Waters – Third round (96)
Legedu Naanee – Fifth round (172)
Brandon Siler – Seventh round (240)

Some of these players in 07 have yet to prove themselves, but look very good to me. That is a pretty good track record.

"He's doing everything a receiver would do except catch the ball." Mike Shanahan

by Brian (DaBolts) on Jul 18, 2008 8:43 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hester is really a big, slowish Tailback

Particularly in goal-line situations, he’s very useful. He has an excellent feel, and very good run strength in short yardage situations. He went from being one of a group of good backs at LSU, to emerging as the workhorse for them as a Senior. This is honestly yet another example of the Chargers taking a guy I like (Weddle, Siler, Cason.)

Hillis is a true FB, and I like him too. They’re very different players, and not terribly comparable to each other.

"I wouldn't ever set out to hurt anyone deliberately unless it was, you know, important --like a league game or something." DICK BUTKUS

by Ted Bartlett on Jul 18, 2008 6:47 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs