Through a handful of games, Cincinnati Bengals safety Dax Hill has flashed the major upside that made him a first-round pick and one of the next men up in the wake of the team losing Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell to free agency.
And teammates aren’t surprised.
Buy Bengals TicketsVeterans in the locker room worked with Hill while he sat for most of his rookie season and the results have paid off on the field.
“It’s great seeing the growth he has had,” Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said, according to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He knew that he was stepping into big shoes, and he didn’t budge at all. We know who he is as a football player and how he is in the meeting rooms. We’re not surprised by how he has been playing.”
Things haven’t been perfect, but some of that big range and versatility that Bates had and helped coordinator Lou Anarumo mix up his looks remains thanks to Hill.
So far, he’s lined up all over the field, be it on tight ends or otherwise and put up numbers on the stat sheet — including leading the team in tackling and also boasting an interception and sack.
While Hill and the revamped secondary will still experience growing pains, it’s clear that Hill has been able to shoulder a lot of the load in a few different ways, which speaks to big things over the long-term for a defense that could undergo big changes over the next few years when it comes to players and along the coaching staff.
