Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill has had an unusual career since being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He was chosen to fill the free safety position after Jessie Bates III left as a free agent the following year.
The plan was that Hill, after a year of learning behind Bates, would take over the leadership and the defense wouldn’t miss a beat.
The plan failed.
After the 2023 season, the Bengals took action and brought in free agents Geno Stone and Vonn Bell, who would join promising young safety Jordan Battle.
They also moved Hill to the cornerback position, where he spent most of his time during his college career.
After his first appearance as a cornerback, NFL analysts Mike Renner and Mina Kimes were excited about what they saw from Hill.
I liked what I saw from Bengals CB Dax Hill in his first game there after playing SAF the last two seasons. So much more relaxed and confident. It showed in his speed of play.
Has all the tools to be special (4.38 40 + 6.57 3-cone + 79 3/4″ span) pic.twitter.com/m3sZ145ZrH
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) 12 August 2024
Coming to the Bengals, I thought Dax Hill, now cornerback, looked fantastic. Super fluid in man coverage, great playmaking. A comeback season for him at a different position would be great for CIN. pic.twitter.com/lpcVXIrzVE
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) 12 August 2024
Hill received a high coverage grade of 90.5 from PFF for his first game on Saturday against the Buccaneers. He was targeted on four passes and was able to catch just one pass, a 28-yard pass. He was credited with three pass defenses and three tackles.
With Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner and Mike Hilton taking the majority of the snaps and Hill and Josh Newton (coverage grade 90.9 according to PFF) appearing as backups on the outside, the Bengals’ secondary could be in good hands for years to come.
