Is 2014 T.Y. Hilton’s Breakthrough Year?

Dec 16, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) runs after a catch against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

T.Y. Hilton is an incredibly talented receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. In his first two seasons, he’s shown amazing possibilities of what he can do out of the slot position for the Colts and has become Andrew Luck’s No. 1 threat down the field.

And he’s only getting better.

The great part about Hilton is that he’s still a very young receiver (24). He has so much NFL football ahead of him and he’ll be able to experience all of it with his Pro Bowl quarterback, Andrew Luck.

In 2013, Hilton posted his first 1,000-yard season off of 82 receptions. He had six total games last season with +120 yards receiving and has been a dominant force down the field for Luck. Hilton provides his All-Pro teammate Reggie Wayne with the perfect complement of speed and quickness. When the two are on the field together, the offense has too many great targets for the defense to react to. Each practice, Hilton is learning from Wayne and perfecting his game to become a better all-around receiver.

In the 2014 NFL season, T.Y. Hilton will climb that ladder into the league of elite NFL receivers.

It may be a crazy claim, but he has the tools to do it. He’s physically gifted and has the best young quarterback in the NFL. If there’s anything that Luck has over his under-25 quarterback counterparts, it’s that he has a talented young receiver to boot.

There’s no doubt that Hilton has the physical gifts and the quarterback to get him the ball; the issue is getting targets. Hilton may be the new top dog in Indy, but Wayne, Hakeem Nicks, Donte Moncrief, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener are all vying for passes too. Hilton won’t have a problem leading all of these guys and will still be the top target; he’ll just have to do more with the ball when he gets it to establish himself as the best target on the field.

The Luck-t0-Hilton connection is one of the prettiest in the NFL. Luck loves looking to find his favorite target in the deep right side of the field, scorching Cover 2 defenses. If that continues to develop as it did last year, then Hilton shouldn’t have a problem breaking the top five receivers for yardage.

If there’s any hiccup in Hilton’s game, it’s his consistency. He could light up the field one game and be a virtual nonfactor in the next. His beautiful performance that may have single-handedly beaten the Seahawks was no where to be found until a Houston game three weeks later. If he stays consistent and gets at least nine targets a game, Hilton should post better performances on a weekly basis.

Calvin Johnson and Brandon Marshall still own the NFL as the greatest receivers; but look out.

T.Y. will be there soon.