'Talk to coach about that one' — Bengals CB Dax Hill uncertain if unfortunate trend will continue following him in 2025
There isn't a position in the defensive backfield Dax Hill hasn't played before. The only thing left for him to do is stay in one spot.Since being drafted to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022, Hill has moved from his college position of slot cornerback to safety, and then from safety to cornerback after he underwhelmed […]
There isn't a position in the defensive backfield Dax Hill hasn't played before. The only thing left for him to do is stay in one spot.
Since being drafted to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022, Hill has moved from his college position of slot cornerback to safety, and then from safety to cornerback after he underwhelmed at the position he was drafted to play. He finally showed flashes at corner last season before tearing his ACL in Week 5.
Cincinnati was robbed of seeing Hill play a full season at a position more natural to his skillset. Now that Mike Hilton is out the door and not expected to return, Hill switching positions once more could be on the table as he enters his fourth season.
When asked if he knows where he'll be playing in his fourth season after he fully recovers from his ACL tear, Hill indicated he knew just as much as anyone else.
"Yeah, I don't know. We'll see," Hill said to reporters. "Talk to coach about that one, but whatever they do, I'm gonna do it to the best I can to the best of my ability."
It's not just Hilton's absence that has the cornerback room in an unfinished state. DJ Turner II and Cam Taylor-Britt are starting options on the outside along with Hill. All three cannot start if none of them are designated for the slot, but there's an argument to be made that those are the team's best three at the position.
Josh Newton, the team's fifth-round pick from last year, is the variable to consider. Newton flashed as a rookie and figures to compete for a larger role in his second season. Hill, Turner, and Taylor-Britt all have either preferred size, speed, or both for the outside. Newton doesn't have either, which is why he's a likely candidate to replace Hilton in the slot.
If the Bengals go that route, Hill would stay on the outside and avoid making yet another position switch while Newton would be able to develop at a position where his talents could be maximized.
The saving grace of moving Hill to the slot is that his path would be a completely full circle. It was his college tape at the position that got him drafted in the first round. All the tools he had for the role four years ago haven't gone anywhere. There's nothing to suggest he wouldn't be able to play it again at a high level.
Conversely, Hill was given the opportunity outside last year and was running with it before his injury. If his upside was showcasing itself after just one offseason of training, he should only be better after stacking that offseason with another.
First-round picks shouldn't have to change positions every year. Hill deserves the stability his talent warrants, and it'd make the secondary as a whole better. Once OTAs ramp up, we'll know for sure what 2025 has in store for him.