New Orleans Saints: What To Make of Taysom Hill’s First NFL Start

Analyzing Hill’s Track Record

Now that we have looked at Hill’s performance on Sunday, it would behoove us to look at his previous track record. Is he a diamond in the rough?

Hill’s college career was interesting, to say the least. He attended Brigham-Young University (BYU) but did so after fulfilling a mormon mission to Australia. Thus, he was a 22-year-old freshman in 2012 at BYU, which is unique in itself.

However, there is more to this story.

Due to injuries, Hill only played in 36 games in his five-year career. Overall, he suffered four season-ending injuries, and it is not as though he played particularly well when he was healthy. He completed just 58.2% of his passes, averaged 6.6 yards/attempt, and also threw 31 interceptions.

Now, Hill also did average 5.3 rushing yards/attempt, and was a monster with the ball in his hands as a sophomore; he ran for 1344 yards and 10 touchdowns. Nevertheless, given his age, injuries, and passing performance, it isn’t surprising that he went undrafted.

Initially, Hill was signed by the Packers, but he was cut loose in the 2017 preseason, and the Saints brought him. By the end of that season, he had emerged as a versatile playmaker for them, particularly on special teams.

Over the past two seasons, he has played a far greater role on offense, mainly on designed quarterback rushes and as a tight end. Last season, for instance, he six receiving touchdowns, and averaged 10.6 yards/attempt.

So, after further review, Hill clearly has always been a talented athlete, as evidenced by his success on special teams, as a rusher, and as a receiver. However, his track record as a passer isn’t very impressive. So, how did Payton build an offense around his skillsets? Let us take a closer look.