Packers: Kylin Hill getting an opportunity on special teams

Rookie running back Kylin Hill has been receiving a lot of praise during Green Bay Packers training camp.

ESPN’s Rob Demovsky wrote that Hill is “quietly having a good camp”. According to Demovsky, a hit on a slant route knocked Hill’s helmet off, but he still held on for the touchdown.

He can make plays as a runner and is proving he’s a capable receiver, something that will help him make the Packers’ 53-man roster and earn opportunities in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

His stock will only continue to rise if he can carve out a role on special teams, something that looks a real possibility.

According to Mike Spofford of Packers.com, special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton said that they are “really vetting” Hill on kickoff returns. Rookie wide receiver Amari Rodgers looks set to be the punt returner, a role he had at Clemson, but Hill is a candidate for kickoffs.

It goes without saying that the more Hill can do to help the team, the greater his chances of making the 53-man roster. His performances at training camp will make it difficult for the Packers to not keep him on the roster, but he looks to be in a good position for the number three running back spot on the depth chart.

Green Bay’s special teams has been a disaster in recent years, and the return game has been a big part of that. Rodgers should improve the punt return game, an area the Packers have struggled, but there are still questions on kickoff returns. If Hill can perform well in that role in the preseason, it will go a long way to improving what was arguably the worst special teams unit in the league in 2020.

It’s been an impressive summer so far for the Packers’ seventh-round pick, and his stock will continue to rise if he is named the kickoff returner.