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When the Jets drafted Stephen Hill in the second round last month, the speedy wide receiver received a text message from Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas.
“Congratulations, it ain’t going to be easy,” it read.
Thomas should know. Two years ago, he was a rookie coming out of Georgia Tech and faced the same challenges his former college teammate does now. Hill is in the process of adapting from the Yellow Jackets’ triple-option offense to an NFL playbook and facing NFL defensive coverages.
“It was kind of tough because being in the triple-option, you’re in two receivers most of the time,” Thomas said recently in a phone interview. “We didn’t have many routes to go over or combinations of routes. When I first got here and saw the playbook, it was kind of tough because you had all sorts of things thrown your way. You’ve got to get used to audibles. We never did audibles in college.”
Thomas and Hill spent a year together at Georgia Tech. When Thomas was drafted in the first round by the Broncos in 2010, Hill became his replacement as the go-to guy for the Yellow Jackets. The two remain close and have spoken several times since the draft.
“He’s like my little brother,” Thomas said.
Hill said Thomas and Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, another Georgia Tech alum, have served as mentors to him. Johnson did not play in Paul Johnson’s triple-option attack, though. Thomas has experienced the transition Hill is now going through.
The biggest challenge for Hill will be adjusting to NFL coverages. In college, teams would load eight men in the box to stop the Yellow Jackets’ rushing attack. Now he will see zone looks that are completely different.
“[He said] just make sure you stay in the playbook,” Hill said. “We actually have coverages in the playbook to make sure we know what’s going on. He told me to ask questions of guys in the locker room because you’ve got to find answers.”
Hill has listened. He said he spends an average of 12 hours a day studying his playbook.
One interesting link between Thomas and Hill is quarterback Tim Tebow. The Broncos selected Tebow three picks after taking Thomas in 2010. The two connected on the game-winning touchdown in Denver’s wild-card victory over the Steelers last season. Now, Hill is catching passes from Tebow.
Thomas said when Tebow ran the Broncos’ offense last season, the defensive looks were closer to what he saw in college, as teams loaded up to stop the run. Hill could benefit from times when Tebow is in the game for the Jets.
Hill possesses tremendous vertical speed. He showed that last week during an organized team activity that was open to the media when he chased down a long pass from Mark Sanchez.
“He’s a great player,” Sanchez said. “He’s always got a smile. He’s one of those guys who loves coming in the building, and loves to learn. He’s a big, strong, fast kid. He’s a sponge, which is exactly what you want from a young guy like that. He’s willing to do whatever [receivers] coach Sanjay Lal asks him, and that’s the kind of attitude we want. As of now, it’s a great pick up for us and we’re excited about him.”
brian.costello@nypost.com