Tag: Daxton Hill

Dax Hill’s breakout summer ends with stunning PFF grades

The grades say it all about Dax Hill’s breakout.

Cincinnati Bengals former first-round pick Dax Hill looks en route to a major breakout.

Questions chased Hill into his third season this year as he made the switch from safety to cornerback.

On paper, Hill always had the athleticism and skills to thrive as a boundary corner. But Cam Taylor-Britt currently has a lock on the No. 1 CB label for the team and former second-rounder DJ Turner has obvious upside at the opposite spot.

But over the course of training camp, Hill has slowly taken over with the first-team defense and looked downright stellar in preseason action.

If the eye test isn’t good enough for onlookers, the Pro Football Focus grades tell quite a story, too:

This is certialy the highest, best end of possible outcomes for the Bengals and Hill — so far. After he and others struggled to replace the loss of Jessie Bates effectively last year, the team signed outside free agent Geno Stone and brought back Vonn Bell to tandem with Jordan Battle, another rising star in the secondary.

As of right now, Hill is a major reason that cornerback strength has gone from a weakness to a strength for the Bengals in the span of one offseason. And if he continues on this path, the long-term outlook of the secondary is fantastic.

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Duke Tobin’s comments on Dax Hill’s position change say it all for Bengals

Former first-round pick Dax Hill has everyone’s attention at training camp.

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill has been a fast riser at training camp this year after making the position change.

Onlookers don’t need much in the way of explanation from the team or analysts on that one — the former first-round pick was making big plays during the preseason opener and has been working over former second-rounder DJ Turner in practice.

But it sure doesn’t hurt to hear huge praise from Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, either.

“You can see that he’s really starting to get comfortable out there,” Tobin said, according to Dan Hoard. “He’s showing us the traits that he can be an outstanding corner in this league.”

Moving Hill off safety to the boundary cornerback spot was one of the biggest points of emphasis for the Bengals this offseason. They added Geno Stone in free agency to seek another possible Jessie Bates replacement and brought back veteran Vonn Bell to help fix the communication woes from last year and mentor the breakout candidate Jordan Battle.

So far, the move has paid off in a big way and the Bengals emerge as huge winners from the ordeal. Hill indeed looks like a prototypical boundary corner and it could mean having a first-rounder across from Cam Taylor-Britt for the future, while the combination of Turner and breakout rookie Josh Newton fight for snaps in the slot. Given how important the fourth corner is in Lou Anarumo’s scheme, these developments are good news for the present and future.

Obviously, this is great news for Hill, too, as he heads into his third season and the decision on his fifth-year option comes into focus.

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Dax Hill tabbed as biggest surprise for Bengals this spring

The Dax Hill position change is going well, to say the least.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Dax Hill has been the subject of much scrutiny this offseason.

Hill started to rebound under the spotlight this spring, though, by showing well at cornerback after a position change.

So much so, in fact, that ESPN’s Ben Baby made the former first-rounder the pick when discussing surprise standouts from OTAs this spring:

Hill entered the offseason in a precarious spot. The 2022 first-round pick was the starting free safety last season in an experiment that didn’t pan out. Hill was moved to outside cornerback, where he appears to be taking charge in a position battle with DJ Turner, a second-round pick from 2023 who started 12 games. Hill has taken the move in stride and was disruptive in 7-on-7 drills during the team’s mandatory minicamp. He’s shaping up to remain a useful player for the Bengals as they enter training camp.

Hill’s flop at safety last year when asked to fill in after the departure of Jessie Bates had his stock low. The team then brought back Vonn Bell, brought on Geno Stone and had rookie Jordan Battle looking good near the end of last season.

But Hill’s rise at corner isn’t too shocking given his all-around versatility. We’ll also have to see just how much his playing time over DJ Turner on the boundary holds steady when things get serious in training camp.

Even so, Hill scratching and clawing his way into a prominent role somewhere on the defense is what the team needs, given the investment cost.

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Dax Hill at CB unfolding nicely for Bengals so far

The Dax Hill experiment continues to be a success.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Dax Hill got the outside starting boundary work at minicamp recently.

Hill, the former first-round pick undergoing the position change away from safety, worked as the starting boundary corner opposite Cam Taylor-Britt.

At least for now, that means Hill is displacing former second-rounder DJ Turner on the boundary while Mike Hilton and others start in the slot.

Practically speaking, the Bengals can use Hill all over the place, whether it’s in two-plus-safety sets or even inside at the slot, too. But so far, these reps are surely invaluable now that his starting safety gig has gone to new arrival Geno Stone.

If the early work is any sign, Hill is well on his way to being the starting corner on the boundary not belonging to CTB. Much can happen over the course of the summer still, but Cincinnati’s initial shuffling of the depth chart has the Hill experiment looking like a success.

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Dax Hill gets reps at boundary CB to start Bengals OTAs

Dax Hill gets to work at CB.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Dax Hill started his journey at cornerback on Tuesday as OTAs began near Paycor Stadium.

Hill, the former first-round pick and starting safety last year, had his position changed to cornerback this offseason while the team added veterans Geno Stone and Vonn Bell in free agency.

While Hill could get some work on the inside in the same space as Mike Hilton and rookie Josh Newton soon enough, he spent a notable amount of time on the boundary on Tuesday.

That means a competition with former second-rounder DJ Turner, with Cam Taylor-Britt secure on the other side.

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Bengals excited to deploy Dax Hill’s skill set at CB

Dax Hill adds another element to a suddenly deep CB room for the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals view the position change for former first-round pick Dax Hill as a net positive.

While the outside narrative points to a flop of an experiment at safety and a messy position change in Hill’s third year, Bengals coaches view it as improving the cornerbacks room.

Just ask cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, who says Dax fits nicely amongst the skill set and will give the team even further gameplan options for third downs depending on the opponent.

Here’s Burks on the topic, courtesy of Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com: “You’ve got DJ Turner with his top-end speed, Dax with his speed and size, Cam Taylor-Britt with his speed, power, and ball skills. When DJ Ivey gets back (from ACL surgery), you have his length. You have Mike Hilton (who played some safety last year in addition to the slot), you have Jalen Davis. You need that kind of versatility.”

It’s notable that former seventh-rounder DJ Ivey gets a shout there too, considering the team added highly-regarded cornerback with Josh Newton in the draft.

With Hill, concern remains about his future. He played 131 snaps, mostly as a slot man as a rookie, then shifted to the Jessie Bates safety spot last year. The defense flopped, the team brought in Geno Stone and re-upped with Vonn Bell and will now have Hill compete at outside and inside corner. Developmental-wise, there’s a massive risk in asking a player to revamp his position going into his third year.

But if Hill finds a home and the Bengals are better for it, the concerns will fade. The defense is indeed more versatile in the secondary than last year now and the pivot after a stumble could prove to be a success.

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Bengals confirm Dax Hill’s position change after 2024 NFL draft

The Bengals confirm the former first-rounder is changing positions.

The Cincinnati Bengals made Dax Hill’s position change official at the 2024 NFL draft, both in how the team navigated its 10 picks and what they said in the aftermath.

Through their picks and the lack of high selections in the secondary, the team confirmed the rotation next year.

And head coach Zac Taylor then confirmed Hill’s move to corner in an interview.

“(Hill) is going to have a chance to go out there and compete in the corner room,” Taylor said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “One of the reasons you took him was because of all the various things you’d seen on tape from him. 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. We’ve seen it from him, and we think it’s the best opportunity right now to help our team.

Taylor added: “He’s got flexibility to do it all. We’ve taken a lot of guys that have a lot of flexibility. Those guys really all start outside, and then we shake it all out and they play inside. Just the way it all shakes out, they get opportunities to do both. There’s a lot of flexibility there.”

For his part, Hill has previously said he appreciates the Bengals’ communication on this matter so far and that he’s more than open to the challenge.

The path for Hill has been rocky after sitting for most of his rookie year, taking over in Jessie Bates’ role last year and struggling and now heading into his third season changing positions.

The Bengals signaled this move in free agency by adding Geno Stone and Vonn Bell, with Jordan Battle in the mix, too. Hill will compete on the boundary with DJ Turner and potentially in a slot role, too.

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Dax Hill appreciates Bengals’ communication as he faces position shift

Dax Hill is happy about how the Bengals have handled the big change.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Dax Hill says the team has been very open with him about his positional future next season after additions to the roster.

Hill says that coaches made sure to loop him in on the thought process inside Paycor Stadium during the signings of Vonn Bell and Geno Stone in free agency.

“I appreciate that, just having that conversation before things turned out and just hearing them out on why they did the things they did,” Hill said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Whatever happened, I can’t control that. I’m just going to put my best foot forward … I’m not really stressing out about what’s to come. I’ve been through so much the first two years, it’s nothing that I’m not used to.”

Despite the strong communication, Hill does admit that things are still in flux as spring workouts get underway: “We’ll see how things go, but everything’s kind of just up in the air, we’ll see how things go and just play it from there. Whatever they ask of me, whatever that is, I’m going do it. But I mean, whatever the position that I’ll be in, I’m going to give it my all.”

Hill played just over 100 snaps as a rookie while waiting for a chance to take over for Jessie Bates. He did last year and flashed with solid production, but a transition year for the secondary and communication issues (among notable problems) led to the unit pacing the league in explosive plays permitted.

Next year, Stone and Bell figure to get notable playing time at safety, leaving Hill for a possible transition to corner, where he could serve as the long-term option behind Mike Hilton.

Either way, strong communication and Hill’s willingness to play anywhere has seemingly helped all involved clear the first hurdle of this change.

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Bengals open to moving Dax Hill to new spot in secondary

Will Dax Hill play safety next year?

The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty of different ways they could go in the defensive secondary this offseason, mostly because of former first-round pick Dax Hill.

Hill’s position in 2024 has been a point of speculation, with reporters ultimately asking defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo about it at the scouting combine.

In short, Anarumo said they’re open to anything.

“We’re still looking at everything. We look at not just Dax, but everybody last year when you have a year that wasn’t quite up to the standard. I think it’s just something you evaluate,” Anarumo said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “But nothing in particular there. Just keep working on it. He can do all of it. He’s got to be good at one thing and that’s what we’re working on now is being good at one thing. I think his development and his upside is huge. Nobody is down on the guy at all.”

Hill is incredibly versatile, so besides playing boundary corner, he might just be able to line up anywhere in the backfield. Anarumo loves three-safety sets or bringing extra defensive backs on the field, so there’s a reality where 2022 second-round pick Cam Taylor-Britt, 2023 second-round pick DJ Turner II and 2023 third-round pick Jordan Battle are all on the field with him.

If Hill lines up in the slot for Mike Hilton, though, then the roster’s safety depth might prove problematic, too.

This is sort of a good problem for the Bengals to have, though. Over the long-term, perhaps Hill ultimately takes over in Hilton’s spot. But in 2024, the Bengals have a ton of options and could add more and the secondary should improve, provided the experience gained last year helps and communication issues see a reduction.

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Bengals secondary coach Jordan Kovacs likes what he sees in Dax Hill

A Bengals coach has plenty of praise for Dax Hill.

New Cincinnati Bengals secondary/safeties coach Jordan Kovacs has a lot of experience, whether it’s as a player or a coach.

He played as a safety, so he’s able to put himself in the shoes of the players he’s coaching, and he knows what it looks like when someone in the secondary stands out from everyone else.

Here’s what Kovacs had to say about Bengals safety Dax Hill to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“He’s obviously got the skill set. He’s a great player. And it’s funny because I watched a lot of Dax in college. He’s just one of those guys that he’s got the skill to be a very, very good player. These guys are young and you can’t coach experience. There’s no greater coach than experience and getting some reps. Both those guys got a lot of reps. They got a lot of experience and that’s going to be huge for them and I expect them to take big steps forward.

“He made some damn good plays. He made some really flashy plays. And I’m sure that he also told you there’s some plays that he’d like back and that’s just life in the NFL as a safety and especially a young safety. The sky, in my opinion, is the limit for him … I’m personally really, really excited to work with him. He can run. He’s willing, he’s tough and he’s a smart kid. There’s a lot of that you want and a lot that you can work with. And it’s our job just to put them in the right spots.”

Kovacs believes that Hill has what it takes to get to the next level, even though he does have some lapses in his defense as a still young player.

In his second year, Hill had 110 tackles – six of which went for a loss – 11 passes defended and two interceptions, so he has already shown that he can compete at a high level, but Kovacs is going to try to get him to the point where he is an elite defender.

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