Can Dax Hill Find Consistency At A New Spot?
Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
In 2023, after the departure of Jessie Bates, Dax Hill became the Bengals’ starting free safety. After a season of flashy but inconsistent play, the Bengals chose to go a different direction at that position by signing Geno Stone and bringing back Vonn Bell. That’s not to say that the 2022 first-rounder is being phased out of the defense. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Dax Hill appears to be having a strong offseason at outside cornerback. Making the transition from safety to corner this year.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) June 11, 2024
Hill transferring to cornerback might seem like a big shift, but it’s not unfamiliar to him. He played multiple positions in the secondary during both his time at Michigan and his first two years with the Bengals. He has experience at both outside and inside cornerback, occasionally filling in for Mike Hilton on the inside during his rookie season. His versatility was a big reason why Zac Taylor selected him at 31st overall in 2022.
“One of the reasons you took him was because of all the various things you’d seen on tape from him,” Taylor said. “He’s a superb athlete, he’s got great size, and he did a good amount of coverage at Michigan, playing inside, covering slots, played some outside. The versatility is what made him the pick that he was. We’re really excited for his future. He has done a tremendous job embracing this opportunity, and I’m excited to see him go out there and compete.”
Even with the positional change, Hill is confident in his ability to seamlessly acclimate to his new position in the secondary.
Dax Hill is moving from safety to cornerback in his third season in Cincinnati.
Hill said the #Bengals coaching staff told him about their plans to switch him to CB, at the start of free agency.
"That’s something I’ve done before. I feel comfortable and confident in myself." |… pic.twitter.com/R5fO3ASJS8
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) April 29, 2024
Despite relatively inconsistent play, Hill was a productive member of the 2023 Bengals’ defense. He led the Bengals with 1,093 total snaps, was tied for the team lead with 11 passes defended, and ranked third with 110 combined tackles.
The front office remains confident in Hill’s ability as an athlete, and they believe he can find his long-term role in the Bengals’ defense.
“A rare athlete,” Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin said. “Great speed, courageous in the run game, can come out of the middle of the field and defend the go ball. I think he’s a guy that can play multiple roles, but I don’t think we want to make him a jack of all and master of none. We have to decide from a coaching standpoint what exactly we want out of him and make him a great player at that position.”
All this begs the question: where in the secondary does Dax Hill fit?
Cam Taylor-Britt is the Bengals’ current No. 1 cornerback and is in seemingly no danger of losing his job there. However, according to Taylor, Hill will be in a positional battle with Cincinnati’s other outside cornerback and his old college teammate, DJ Turner. Much like Hill, the 2023 second-round pick showed flashes of potential but struggled in terms of consistency. Despite the positional battle, Turner thinks highly of his longtime teammate. “That guy is going to do whatever the team needs him to do,” Turner said.
It’s also entirely possible that Hill could find himself as the next long-term slot cornerback. Mike Hilton, the Bengals’ current starter at that position, is entering his age-30 season and is in the final year of his four-year, $24 million contract. Hill, who has plenty of experience at that position (580 of his 893 snaps in his final year at Michigan were at slot corner), could very easily find himself as Hilton’s replacement.
As for how the transition is going in training camp, Hill seems to be coming along quite nicely.
Dax Hill continues to make plays and continues to be one of the stories of the off-season practices. pic.twitter.com/BPNm59pnOy
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) June 12, 2024
Transitioning Hill from safety to cornerback will also allow defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to utilize one of Hill’s strengths: getting to players in the backfield. He struggled in coverage at safety; however, he was much more effective in terms of tackling and run defense. Hill even logged two sacks in 2023; one of which caused tweeting birds to circle above Matthew Stafford’s head.
Dax Hill just dropped a hammer on Matthew Stafford. pic.twitter.com/NyQ510hOwA
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 26, 2023
In that same game, he ran untouched to Kyren Williams and brought him down for a significant loss.
Dax Hill leads the team in tackles for loss (4) and is tied for most in the NFL among secondary players. He also leads the team in total tackles 👏 pic.twitter.com/bgCQNs2ruy
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 29, 2023
Hill’s elite athletic ability and nose for the football will aid in his development as a quality NFL cornerback. He’s only 24 and already in his third year in the league, so there’s still plenty of room for him to grow. If all goes well, Hill will have no issue going from a player who flashes potential to a longtime starter on defense. He just has to find his niche that will allow Anarumo to maximize his strengths.
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