The Cincinnati Bengals used a first-round draft pick on DB Dax Hill just two years ago, starting him last season. Heading into the 2024 season, now, they currently don’t know what to do with him. Hill struggled to function as a deep safety last year, and the Bengals responded by signing Geno Stone and Vonn Bell in free agency.
But they didn’t do it while leaving their former first-round pick in the dark. Via Geoff Hobson for the team’s website, Hill said the Bengals kept him in the loop during free agency. Not that that provides any clarity as to his own immediate future.
“I appreciate that, just having that conversation before things turned out and just hearing them out on why they did the things they did”, Hobson quotes Hill as saying. “Whatever happened, I can’t control that. I’m just going to put my best foot forward”.
The Michigan product saw just 131 defensive snaps as a rookie in 2022 before pushing that to over 1,000. Hill started every game for the Bengals last season, playing 100 percent of their defensive snaps. He finished the year with 110 tackles, including six for loss, with two interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and a sack and a half. Overall, his numbers point to a well-rounded player who can cover, blitz, and defend the run.
The problem is the stats don’t tell the full story, particularly in coverage, and particularly with respect to discipline. The fact is the Bengals had the 28th-ranked passing defense last season with Hill as their free safety. They allowed over 300 net passing yards three times on the season and under 200 only three times.
Stone, frankly, comes with his own concerns in terms of discipline, and he’s worse in run support. But he emerged as an opportunistic defender last year with seven interceptions. They previously employed Bell, as well, who effectively filled the strong safety role in the past.
While they have to sort these jobs out, it’s reasonable to assume Stone and Bell may be the Bengals’ starting safeties entering the season. And it’s unclear where that leaves Hill, exactly, but they seem intent on finding a role for him.
“We’ll see how things go, but everything’s kind of just up in the air, we’ll see how things go and just play it from there”, Hill said. “Whatever they ask of me, whatever that is, I’m going do it. But I mean, whatever the position that I’ll be in, I’m going to give it my all”.
He’d better. The Bengals will have to decide roughly 13 months from now whether to pick up his fifth-year option. Failure to do so is not a death sentence, but losing your starting job in your third season is not a good look. Even if your team let you know it may be replacing you while exploring its options.
