It’s been well documented that the Cincinnati Bengals need to improve their defense heading into 2025. They were 25th in the NFL in defense and that was with the NFL’s sack leader Trey Hendrickson. So while everyone is looking to how the Bengals are going to fix their defense through the draft and free agency, they are actually getting a familiar face back as he returns from injury.
According to Jeremy Fowler, the Bengals exercised their fifth-year option on Dax Hill, a former first-round draft pick who is entering the final year of his contract.
“The #Bengals are exercising the fifth-year option on defensive back Dax Hill, per source,” Fowler tweets.
The 24-year-old cornerback played in five games for the Bengals last season before suffering a torn ACL. He was definitely the Bengals’ best corner.
Hill would be a nice boost to a defense that needs it
While the team may like him a lot and see a bright future, Hill is still coming off of a major injury and the team likely doesn’t want to give him a hefty large contract until they see how he’s recovered. The Bengals in general like to wait to pay people so this should be perfect for them.
James Rapien of Sports Illustrated has more on Hill.
“Hill was entering the final year of his rookie contract. He’s scheduled to make $12.6 million on the option,” Rapien writes.
“This is noteworthy because it gives us a real idea of how the Bengals feel about Hill. He impressed at corner last season and they think he can be a part of their defensive core moving forward. It’s also a sign that they believe he can he a high-end outside cornerback in the NFL.
“Hill has 151 tackles (seven for loss) 13 passes defensed, seven quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions in 37 career games.”
Hill was highly touted coming out of college
Obviously, NFL teams had their eyes on Hill coming out of the University of Michigan. Chad Reuter’s draft profile highlights his accomplishments as he entered the NFL in 2022.
“Hill was named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year his senior campaign at Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School,” Reuter writes. “The brother of former Oklahoma State and current NFL running back Justice Hill was Michigan’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 (36 tackles, three for loss, one interception, three pass breakups in 13 games, three starts). Big Ten coaches voted him honorable mention all-conference in 2020 as he started all six games (46 tackles, one interception, four pass breakups). Hill was a first-team all-league pick in 2021, filling up the stat sheet as a 14-game starter (70 tackles, 4.5 for loss, two interceptions, nine pass breakups).”
NFL Draft Buzz saw Hill as a prospect with tremendous upside:
-Crazy athletic talent – Hill ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, which ranked 14th overall at the combine. Hill’s 20-yard shuttle (4.06 seconds) and three-cone drill time (6.57 seconds) were the best at safety
-Aware zone safety who is also adept in man coverage could happily move to corner if required
-Gets an effective jam on the receiver and has loose enough hips to turn and run.
-Long-armed press safety with size, athleticism, and ball skills.
-Hill put up the top SPARQ rating in the 2019 class
-Lean, athletic build with plenty of room for additional muscle mass.
-Gives up his body in run support with a very good closing burst.
-With his length, athleticism, and natural ball skills, he will be highly valued by press cover teams and could earn a top 50 pick.
-Good instincts and anticipation reads and reacts with discipline. Dangerous with the ball in his hands.
-Plays the ball as if it was thrown for him, showing burst back to the ball as well as good timing for the jump ball.
-A surprisingly good tackler who despite his corner like appearance can quite happily play in the box
Hill is a good open-field tackler, with burst and range, ball skills, and very good man coverage potential.
Since he only played five games last year, getting Hill back and healthy should be like found money for the Bengals in 2025.
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