Bengals draft Daxton Hill: Torn between corner and safety in first round, they get both

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - OCTOBER 19:  Daxton Hill #30 of the Michigan Wolverines warms up before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 19, 2019 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Michigan 28-21.  (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
By Jay Morrison
Apr 29, 2022

NFL Draft 2022 tracker: Live blog and pick-by-pick analysis

With needs at cornerback and safety, the Bengals addressed both with their first-round pick Thursday night, selecting Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill with the 31st pick. Technically listed as a safety, even though he played 580 of his 893 snaps at slot corner for the Wolverines in 2021, Hill becomes the first safety the Bengals have taken in the first round since Rickey Dixon in 1988. The 6-foot, 191-pounder is a mix of speed and physicality and is just as strong against the run as he is in coverage. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, often dubbed a mad scientist for the way he mixes schemes and personnel from week to week, will have lots to work with when it comes to Hill.

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Draft grades: Sheil Kapadia weighs in on the picks
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?

Big board ranking: Hill came in at No. 20 on Dane Brugler’s Top 300 list, and he was No. 26 on Arif Hasan’s Consensus Big Board. He was the draft’s No. 2-ranked safety, with No. 3 Lewis Cine from the national champion Georgia Bulldogs going one pick later at No. 32. Also on the board when the Bengals picked was Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth, whom Paul Dehner Jr. had as the team’s first-round pick in his most recent mock draft. Booth was No. 22 on Brugler’s list, and by the time the Bengals went on the clock, it felt like a lock that the pick would be one of those two defensive backs.

Introduction: The uncertainty of where Hill will line up, whether it be in the over-arching macro sense or on any given play, stands in contrast to his thoroughly predictable landing spot as a top pick in the NFL.

From Austin Meek’s profile of the five-star recruit from Tulsa, Okla.:

Daxton Hill’s career arc at Michigan was more a slow and steady climb than a rocket ship to the moon.

Most players would take that kind of trajectory, but Hill had the added scrutiny of being a five-star prospect and the highest-rated recruit to sign with Michigan since Rashan Gary in 2016. It was all but assured that Hill’s physical gifts would take him to the NFL eventually. The big question was how much he would accomplish at Michigan before that time arrived.

Hill played solid football in his first two years, but the combination of COVID-19 disruptions, a revolving door of position coaches and the overall struggles of Michigan’s defense made for a tough sophomore season in 2020. Heading into 2021, Hill wanted more.

“He has some high goals for himself individually,” safeties coach Ron Bellamy said in August. “In order for him to reach some of those goals, he has to expand his game. He’s risen to that challenge.”

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Hill’s versatility makes it hard to predict his exact role in the NFL. Is he a cornerback with the instincts of a safety? A safety with the coverage skills of a cornerback? Michigan rolled it all together in 2021 by using Hill at nickel, a position that utilized his tackling ability in space, his blitzing ability off of the edge and his coverage skills in the slot.

“You’d be a fool not to take his skill set and watch him do special things with it,” Bellamy said. “A lot’s put on his plate, and he wants that.”

How he fits: There is no bigger question when it comes to Hill, and it’s one not even Bengals coaches and scouts can answer until they get him on the field. From listening to head coach Zac Taylor and Anarumo, it’s obvious there is no hurry to define a role. And maybe no deadline for that all. That’s something Hill said he would prefer, telling reporters his goal was to be “a hybrid throughout my entire career. I don’t really want to limit myself because I know I can play other positions. Wherever that may be, whenever that may be, I’m ready for the journey.”

Second guess? Given that the draft is being held in Las Vegas, let’s put this in betting parlance: Once the Bengals went on the clock, both Hill and Booth would have had even-money odds to become Cincinnati’s pick. They weren’t locked in on a defensive back, but it always felt like the most likely target. And with five tackles, two guards, two centers and three defensive tackles off the board, the only real option was a corner, a safety (or both, as it turned out), or a trade back.

Rookie impact: For a man without a position, Hill is going to be on the field quite a bit. Anarumo used a lot of three-safety looks last year, and cornerback Eli Apple’s starting spot is not exactly secure. There were a lot of questions in the weeks leading up to the first round about whether the team, with a Super Bowl-caliber roster, would be drafting with more of a focus on 2022 or 2023. While the Hill pick, like Hill himself, hits both spots, Taylor and Anarumo made it clear we will be seeing a lot of Hill as a rookie.

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Depth-chart impact: Right now, Hill slots as the third safety behind Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, both of whom are in the final year of their contracts, although the Bengals have until July 15 to work out a long-term with Bates, who is under the franchise tag. At corner, Hill would be No. 4 behind Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Apple, although it’s been understood since Apple gave up two touchdowns in the Super Bowl, including the game winner, that there will be a competition in camp to settle on a starter. That battle may come from a yet-to-be drafted corner, however, as the Bengals won’t be in a hurry to lock Hill into a role.

Fast evaluation: Anarumo loves big, strong, fast guys, but versatility is at the top of his wish list at all three levels of his defense. Taylor admitted he didn’t think Hill would be available this late and that they were thrilled he was. When you combine the measurables with the flexibility brings, Hill has a chance to be yet another first-round home run for the Bengals on the heels of the Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow picks.

(Photo: Brett Carlsen / Getty Images)

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