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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Former Michigan safety promoted to Bengals secondary coach

A fan favorite from his time in Ann Arbor is moving up the ranks! #GoBlue

Former Michigan Wolverine safety Jordan Kovacs has been promoted to the role of secondary coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. Kovacs, an Ohio native, is entering his sixth year with the Bengals and has spent the last two as an assistant linebackers coach.

Interestingly, this means that Cincinnati is running with a Wolverine-dominated secondary. The Bengals were already starting D.J. Turner at cornerback and Daxton Hill at safety, and now have a former Michigan safety coaching the room.

Kovacs walked on to the Michigan football team in 2009 and contributed instantly. He recorded 75 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and one interception. He would play 12 or more games in each of his four years on the team and finish his career as a captain with a total of 334 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and five interceptions. Kovacs was voted second-team all-Big Ten following his senior campaign.

Unfortunately, Kovacs was not selected in the 2013 NFL draft but was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins. He spent a year in South Florida before bouncing around the NFL for four seasons with the Eagles, Chiefs, Rams, and Dolphins (again). Kovacs recorded 11 tackles and one sack during his NFL career as a player.

At the conclusion of his playing career, the Wolverines offered Kovacs a position on staff in 2017 where he stayed for two seasons before departing for the NFL prior to the 2019 season. Kovacs was a defensive quality control coach until 2021 when he was promoted for the first time to assistant linebackers coach where he stayed for two more seasons.

Now, the former walk-on will have his own position group to look after… and one chock-full of former Wolverines. Perhaps the front office will see fit to give Kovacs more Michigan help and draft nickel cornerback Mike Sainristil in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft.