Former Ole Miss Rebels star's lack of NFL Free Agency interest confirms suspicions as he still remains unsigned
The first few waves of NFL free agency signings have come and gone. Over the next few weeks prior to the 2025 NFL Draft there will be sporadic signings across the league, but generally when players are still not signed by now, something may be wrong.It doesn't matter if players have produced well for years. […]
The first few waves of NFL free agency signings have come and gone. Over the next few weeks prior to the 2025 NFL Draft there will be sporadic signings across the league, but generally when players are still not signed by now, something may be wrong.
It doesn't matter if players have produced well for years. If the NFL doesn't see a high ceiling on a player it could signal the end, even for great talents. And it seems one former Ole Miss Rebels star who has been highly productive for nearly a decade may be nearing the end of his NFL career.
Why?
It seems some late season suspicions have been confirmed as very few teams are looking to sign former Ole Miss great, cornerback Mike Hilton. However, Hilton still has a couple key skills that should help him find a home soon.
Mike Hilton, NFL Free Agent Cornerback
According to multiple sources like CBS Sports, ESPN, and Pro Football Focus, former Ole Miss Rebels star cornerback Mike Hilton is considered one of the best remaining free agents on the market left to potentially sign with an NFL team this spring. What makes him so good, even now at age 31?
As Ole Miss fans are likely quite familiar with, Mike Hilton has long been one of the best run defending cornerbacks in entire game of football. Dating back to his time at Oxford, despite his smaller stature, Hilton was a physical force, racking up nearly 200 tackles in his final three seasons with Ole Miss. Now, all these years later, Hilton is still consistently grading out via multiple NFL charting services as an elite run defender.
Some of Hilton's critics from last season may point out that the primary responsibility of cornerbacks is coverage, not defending the run, and that's obviously true. However, Hilton's value has long rested with his ability to dominate against the run as an extremely reliable slot defender. Not many sub-200 pound defensive backs avoid getting completely washed out of the run game.
Hilton missed just 7% of his tackle attempts in 2024 (when league averages are more than double that for defensive backs), showing both consistency and physicality all year long. So what's the rub? Why does he remain unsigned?
Unfortunately, it seems that Hilton has dropped off rather significantly in coverage consistency. When he was ripping it up for Ole Miss in the early 2010s Hilton was a shutdown cornerback who earned Second Team All-SEC Honors in his final season. Then when he got to the league Hilton allowed less than nine yards per reception and just one touchdown in coverage as a rookie.
Since that spectacular rookie season with the Steelers, Hilton has posted pretty consistent coverage marks, coming in above league average most years for the majority of meaningful metrics. However, last season he began to struggle.
Hilton allowed a 100% completion rate when targeted over his last five games and a NFL passer rating over 105 on the season (absolutely terrible compared to his sub-90 career average). Some fans believed he may have lost a step at age 31.
Given Hilton's market and interest, or the lack thereof, in free agency it's safe to say many around the NFL may believe that to be true. However, he still presents great value in run defense, and his nearly 6,000 snaps of NFL experience should land him somewhere soon enough.
Let's hope he's given at least one more "prove-it" short-term deal so Hilton can keep making his Ole Miss Rebels family proud in the NFL. He's been so good for so long. 8 years of play. Over 500 tackles. 70 total passes defended. Hilton deserves another shot. Let's hope his NFL free agency journey comes to end here soon and he's playing in 2025.
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If you want to see Mike Hilton break down some of his top plays that should earn him an opportunity with an NFL team here soon just check out the video below!
