Tag: Daxton Hill

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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Bengals praise Dax Hill’s growth ahead of matchup vs. George Kittle

Big hype for Bengals safety Dax Hill as he keeps ascending.

Cincinnati Bengals safety Dax Hill has been steadily earning praise over the course of his first six games as a full-time starter in coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense.

Hill has been used all over the place, filling that Jessie Bates role but also serving as a specialist against specific players such as opposing tight ends.

That has Anarumo signing his praises before a showdown with San Francisco’s George Kittle.

“Confidence. I think just understanding his job and feeling good about letting it fly a little bit,” Anarumo said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Going to make some plays and that just comes with feeling more confident in what his, what his jobs are. So he’s done well. It’s been steady, which is good.”

Kittle, who Anarumo puts with the likes of Travis Kelce, is a nice measuring stick for Hill’s progress: “I think he’s held his own. It’s a tough job for any of those cover guys. They’re going to win some and lose some and as long as we’re winning more than we lose. He’s competitive. He’s fast, he’s got some length to him. He’s held his own, but (Kittle is) tough. This guy’s a tough match for anybody. ”

Considering the secondary was one of the biggest questions about the team entering the season, the fact Hill has been a steady presence already is a great sign for both the rest of the season and the future.

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ProBlue: Five best performances from Michigan alum in Week 6

Great week for former Wolverines! #GoBlue

This is one of the best seasons for NFL Michigan athletes in recent memory. Daxton Hill, D.J. Turner, Nico Collins, Josh Metellus, and many more are finally breaking out, Hutchinson looks like a game-wrecker — and the Lions are actually good!

Michigan will be a defense-heavy school for the near future. Nico Collins is the first (and only) offensive player to make the prestigious award. Next year’s draft might shake some things up, but the Wolverines will always be a dangerous team.

Take a look at my five best player performances from former Wolverines who excelled in an exciting Week 6 of the NFL.

ProBlue: Who showed out for Michigan on the big stage

Some really great showings from former #Michigan players this week! #GoBlue

NFL Week 5 has officially wrapped up, and it was chock-full of big performances from former Wolverines.

Sadly Nico Collins had a relatively quiet week and dropped out of the top five receiving yards total, but the defensive alum picked up the slack. Aidan Hutchinson was all over social media with his one-handed snag, Mike Danna iced the Chiefs victory with a sack — and plenty more!

Sack leaderboards:

T1: Aidan Hutchinson (4.5)

T1: Rashan Gary (4.5)

3: Mike Danna (3.5)

4: Kwity Paye (3)

5: Josh Uche (2)

Here are the top performances from former Michigan football players in Week 5:

Bengals teammates aren’t surprised at Dax Hill’s big start

Bengals teammates expected — and got — big things from Dax Hill.

Through a handful of games, Cincinnati Bengals safety Dax Hill has flashed the major upside that made him a first-round pick and one of the next men up in the wake of the team losing Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell to free agency.

And teammates aren’t surprised.

Veterans in the locker room worked with Hill while he sat for most of his rookie season and the results have paid off on the field.

“It’s great seeing the growth he has had,” Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said, according to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He knew that he was stepping into big shoes, and he didn’t budge at all. We know who he is as a football player and how he is in the meeting rooms. We’re not surprised by how he has been playing.”

Things haven’t been perfect, but some of that big range and versatility that Bates had and helped coordinator Lou Anarumo mix up his looks remains thanks to Hill.

So far, he’s lined up all over the field, be it on tight ends or otherwise and put up numbers on the stat sheet — including leading the team in tackling and also boasting an interception and sack.

While Hill and the revamped secondary will still experience growing pains, it’s clear that Hill has been able to shoulder a lot of the load in a few different ways, which speaks to big things over the long-term for a defense that could undergo big changes over the next few years when it comes to players and along the coaching staff.

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ProBlue: How former Michigan football players fared in NFL Week 3

Some of the guys really balled out! #GoBlue

Michigan has nearly 50 players currently in the NFL. From stars to practice squad members, this weekly series will document the gridiron greatness of former Wolverines.

Michigan’s NFL numbers are focused on the defense, but recent performances from Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones are looking to balance the scales a little more.

Jabrill Peppers has also been facing a bit of a career resurgence after joining the Patriots two seasons ago in free agency. He continues to impress with his versatility and talent up in New England.

Rashan Gary looks to be the next Wolverine to make big money in the NFL. His recovery has gone great and Green Bay should look to lock him up sooner rather than later.

The Wolverines currently have nine first-round picks in the NFL and 19 starters. Here’s how they performed in Week 3 of the 2023 season.

Bengals praise Dax Hill’s emergence as he steps into starting role

Dax Hill has impressed for the Bengals so far.

The play of Cincinnati Bengals safety Dax Hill was one of the silver linings we pointed out coming out of the team’s loss to the Cleveland Browns in the opener.

Given Hill’s solid play in his first action since fully taking over for Jessie Bates, he was a hot topic as the Bengals started prep for Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, for example, specifically brought up Hill and his work on tight ends while mentioning the defense’s limiting the Browns to a 4-of-14 mark on third downs, according to CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia.

Anarumo also pointed out some of the general highs and lows of his unit in the opener:

That Hill is already getting singled out for praise is nothing but a good sign for a player who had previously shined in two consecutive preseasons but hadn’t seen meaningful snaps during the regular season.

Even better for Anarumo, Hill’s pairing with free-agent arrival Nick Scott seems like it’s off to a good start, which was one of the biggest question marks for the team overall entering the season.

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Dax Hill receiving praise after preseason Week 1 performance

Big praise for Bengals S Dax Hill.

The Cincinnati Bengals lost some key defensive players from their secondary over the offseason in Jessie Bates, Vonn Bell and Eli Apple and there have been concerns that part of their game might not be as good as it has been in the recent past.

However, in preseason week one against the Green Bay Packers, Sam Monson of PFF was impressed with how Bengals defensive back Dax Hill played.

Here’s what Monson had to say about Hill:

Hill made one of the plays of the game, breaking up the deep shot from Jordan Love to save a touchdown as he came over from the middle of the field. Hill showed outstanding range and was able to get in front of Christian Watson, who had gotten behind rookie DJ Turner and was open for a big play. Hill looked good outside of that flash play and will help the Bengals feel good about their succession plan in the secondary.

It wasn’t much of a question whether Hill would be starting for the Bengals this season after losing a few free agents, but it’s been encouraging to see early results from him so far.

Hill was the only projected Bengals starter to play in this preseason game because he needs extra reps after not starting in his rookie season. What he has shown has been very promising for the Bengals who have been very pleased with what they have seen from the safeties so far.

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