Figure out where you’d like to start. It doesn’t matter really. With Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill, the eye-catching moments are easy to find.
If you want the best game from Hill’s best season, drop right into the Cowboys’ November 2017 shootout loss to then-No. 5 Oklahoma. That afternoon Hill ripped through the Sooners defense for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns, uncorking a display full of jump-cuts, spins, jukes and sprints.
In three seasons at Oklahoma State, Hill did a lot of that on his way to 3,539 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns.
If you need measurables to back up that tape, then perhaps scan through Hill’s combine testing from February. His 4.40-second 40-yard dash time was the fastest among running backs. Same goes for his 40-inch vertical leap.
And if you’re curious about potential fit for the running back-needy Bears? Spend a little more time familiarizing yourself with Hill’s running style and it becomes easy to see how Bears coach Matt Nagy might use a back this quick, this slippery, this intelligent, this competitive.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah is, by his own admission, “a big fan.” “Big-time juice,” Jeremiah says of Hill. “Just ultra twitched up. He’s a home-run hitter.”
Adds ESPN draft expert Todd McShay: “He can fly. And his (combine) workout backed up some of the explosive plays you see on tape.
“Now, he benefited from an offensive system that was a spread. And he had creases that he could exploit. But as a change-of-pace back and a guy who can catch the football and you can move him around a little bit, you’ll get some big-play opportunities.”
It’s widely believed the Bears are looking to add to a playmaker to their backfield. Last month’s trade that sent Jordan Howard to the Eagles was far from a surprise to those who had been paying close attention and understand Nagy’s desire to add explosiveness and versatility to his backfield. But that deal also accentuated the need for the Bears to use this draft to find the right guy to replace Howard and better his production.
Now the pressure’s on. Nagy, Pace and their talent evaluators must identify a young playmaker to help lift their offense to the next level.
The Bears aren’t scheduled to pick until Round 3 and pick No. 87 on Friday night. Thus they’ll likely have to wait awhile to make their splash. But this year’s running back class has enough quality depth to offer a pretty appealing menu as the Bears look to order a back late on Day 2 or early on Day 3.
At the combine in February, Nagy emphasized how he values running backs with vision and the ability to make tacklers miss. He also mentioned his affinity for hybrid backs who seamlessly become weapons in the passing game.
Pie-in-the-sky dreamers see Penn State’s Miles Sanders as the ideal fit, an elusive, multidimensional back with a great feel for the game. But most draft experts would be stunned if Sanders were still on the board when the Bears go on the clock for the first time.
Iowa State’s David Montgomery also will be on the radar. He’s a reliable back with good vision and instincts who has the potential to become a starter in Week 1. And Memphis’ Darrell Henderson often seems like a Mentos tablet waiting to be dropped into a 2-liter bottle of Coke after leading the Football Bowl Subdivision last season with an average of 8.9 yards per carry and 15 runs of more than 40 yards.
