Bengals Player Profile: Dax Hill finds his true position at the perfect time
The Cincinnati Bengals witnessed Dax Hill looking right at home late last year as the cornerback opposite of DJ Turner II. They’d love to have him there for the next few years on a new deal, but the former first-round pick may be playing out the end of his contract first.
We’re seven days (one week!) away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. The entire Bengals’ 90-man roster is getting a profile page before final cuts. Check out previous player profiles here.
The next player may finally realize positional continuity this season.
Dax Hill Player Profile
Age: 25
Year: 5th
Position: Cornerback
College: Michigan
Jersey Number: 23
Dax Hill was selected No. 31 overall in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Prior to the NFL, Hill played three seasons (2019-21) at Michigan and started 23 of 33 games he played. He was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2021, the year he shared the field with teammate DJ Turner II.
Cincinnati drafted Hill as a safety but only played him for 150 snaps in 18 games (including postseason) as a rookie. His path was to take over for Jessie Bates III in 2023, but Hill was not cut out for the role. The Bengals moved him to cornerback in 2024, and he won a starting gig over Turner, who was entering his second year. Hill unfortunately suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 of that season and missed the rest of the year.
Hill took on a yet another challenge on his way back from injury as Cincy moved him to the slot, where he played most of his collegiate career. That lasted about half of the 2025 season as he replaced the injured Cam Taylor-Britt on the outside during the final eight games.
Contract details
Hill is set to play on the fifth-year option that was exercised last year before the end of his original four-year, $11,667,018 rookie contract. He will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $12,682,000 for the year, which is both his total cash earnings and salary cap hit.
Roster outlook
The Bengals witnessed Hill looking right at home late last year as the cornerback opposite of Turner. While teams were starting to avoid Turner, Hill was getting more and more chances in coverage and performed very well. He was Pro Football Focus’ top-graded CB in terms of coverage from Week 13 to the end of the season.
Everyone inside Paycor Stadium knew Hill needs to stay at corner for the rest of his time in Cincinnati. Whether that time ends in a few years after a new contract, or at the end of 2026 if an extension can’t be reached, is up for both sides to determine.
It’s been a rocky road for Hill to get here. If nothing else, he enters the prime of his career settled at his long-term position, and will set himself up for a nice pay day next March.
Roster odds: 100%
