Jalen Ramsey will surely get the bulk of the attention in the Rams’ secondary, but Troy Hill shouldn’t fly too far under the radar. Hill was Los Angeles’ best cornerback in the second half of last season, stepping up in a big way after Marcus Peters was traded and Aqib Talib landed on IR.
In 14 games a year ago, Hill only allowed 26 catches on 57 targets (45.6%) and two touchdowns, breaking up eight passes with two interceptions. Where he really excelled was in zone coverage.
According to Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, Hill was one of the best zone cornerbacks in the NFL last season. While in zone coverage, Hill only allowed seven catches on 20 targets for 118 yards. He didn’t give up a single touchdown in zone and picked off one pass. His positive play rate of 35% was fifth-best among all cornerbacks with at least 20 targets.
Farrar notes Hill’s fit in Wade Phillips’ scheme, which featured 57% zone coverage last year, but it remains to be seen how he’ll be used in Brandon Staley’s system.
“Hill was an ideal player in Phillips’ defense with his trail ability and recovery speed; it remains to be seen how he’ll be utilized in the new schematic paradigm,” Farrar wrote.
Hill has been criticized often by Rams fans over the years for his inconsistent play and for how often he gave up big receptions. That wasn’t the case last season, which was arguably his best as a pro.
Quarterbacks will do their best to avoid Ramsey in coverage, which means Hill and the Rams’ other cornerbacks will see a lot of passes come their way in 2020. If he can lock down No. 2 receivers, it’ll go a long way toward helping the entire defense improve.
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