Dream Colts second-round 2026 NFL Draft prospect targets: Texas Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.

Anthony Hill Jr. would add an element to the Colts LB room that they haven’t had since Shaquille Leonard

Destin Adams — NFL News Writer
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Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.
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Day two at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine saw linebackers, defensive linemen, and punters/kickers hit the podiums for media availability. The front seven is a major need for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, which means there’s a good chance we heard from a few future Colts draft picks on Wednesday.

This seems like a great time to share my first of many-to-come dream draft prospects for the Colts to consider using their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the 47th pick in the second round.

First up is a versatile linebacker who would give Indy the type of player they have been searching for quite some time: Texas Longhorns LB Anthony Hill Jr.

Anthony Hill Jr. would give the Colts defense a player they have needed for quite some time

Hill Jr. was a three-year player at Texas and played in 40 games for the Longhorns. He was a dynamic playmaker in Austin and just turned 21 on February 14th. Next up for the LB is making his dream of being drafted into the NFL come true.

He is projected to hear his name called inside the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft, which includes the first three rounds. The LB’s versatility to do so many things well stands out, and the former Longhorn explained that aspect of his game at the combine.

“Yeah, I feel like the biggest part of my game is how versatile I am. I’m able to play MIKE, play WILL, play SAM. I really have fun playing off the edge, off the ball, and maybe walk out on three. Being able to do everything and being able to have a versatile part of my game.” – Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.

A good display of his versatility is how he filled the stat sheet at Texas. He recorded at least four sacks each year and finished with 17 in his career. He had 31.5 tackles for loss, with 16.5 coming in 2024, and he even finished his career with three interceptions, two coming in his final year at Texas in 2025.

The element of his game he thinks isn’t discussed enough is his physicality against the run. Here is what he had to say about that element of his game.

“I’ll say how physical I am in the run game. I feel like a lot of people haven’t been talking about how physical I am in the run game. How I’ve been able to take on blocks and play physical.” – Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr.

Anthony Hill Jr. looks a lot like a new Super Bowl champion LB

The player I see when watching Hill is Ernest Jones IV, who played a big role in the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl win. Jones is given a lot of responsibilities, and he impacts the game in so many ways. I think that’s the type of impact Hill Jr. can have in the NFL, and in fact, I think he has more potential when it comes to blitzing and speeding up the quarterback.

Lou Anarumo’s system would be a great fit for Hill, and I think adding him would give Anarumo a chess piece so different than what he had at his disposal at LB in his first year with the Colts. If Hill Jr. finds himself on the board when the Colts finally get on the clock at pick 47, in my opinion, the team would be foolish not to consider him a top option.

If you aren’t all the way on board just because of my thoughts, I suggest you tune in tomorrow, where Hill Jr. is preparing to participate in all of the combine drills on the Colts’ home field at Lucas Oil Stadium. I expect him to put on a show, and he shared with the media in attendance that he is most excited to run the 40-yard dash.

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