Daxton Hill
No. 23 – Cincinnati Bengals
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (2000-09-29) September 29, 2000 (age 23)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:192 lb (87 kg)
Career information
High school:Booker T. Washington
(Tulsa, Oklahoma)
College:Michigan (2019–2021)
NFL draft:2022 / Round: 1 / Pick: 31
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:126
Sacks:1.5
Pass deflections:11
Interceptions:2
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Daxton Jor-El Hill (born September 29, 2000) is an American football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan and was drafted by the Bengals in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Early years

Hill attended Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a senior in 2019, he was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year for Oklahoma.[1] He played in the 2019 U.S. Army All-American Game. A five star recruit, he committed to play college football at the University of Michigan before switching to the University of Alabama and then back to Michigan.[2][3]

College career

As a true freshman at Michigan in 2019, Hill played in 13 games with three starts and had 36 tackles and one interception.[4] As a sophomore in 2020, he started six games, recording 46 tackles and one interception. He returned to Michigan as a starter in 2021 and received first-team all conference honors.[5][6] Hill declared for the 2022 NFL Draft following the 2021 season.[7]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 0+1⁄4 in
(1.84 m) 		191 lb
(87 kg) 		32+1⁄4 in
(0.82 m) 		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 4.38 s 1.51 s 2.54 s 4.06 s 6.57 s 37.0 in
(0.94 m)		 10 ft 2 in
(3.10 m)
Sources:[8][9]

2022

Hill was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round (31st overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.[10]

Hill was eased into his rookie year by Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, backing up Jessie Bates at free safety, and playing as a gunner on special teams snaps alongside Stanley Morgan.

In Week 15 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hill would play his first game as a starter, switching positions to cornerback due to both regular starter Mike Hilton and backup Jalen Davis suffering injuries the week prior. Hill played in a nickelback role for the game, recording 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles.[11]

2023

In his second season, Hill was named as the starting free safety.[12] During the Bengals' Week 1 loss against the Cleveland Browns, Hill recorded his first career interception off of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Hill had a career high in tackles in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens, making 12 total tackles, nine of which were solo.

Hill's first career sack came during the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams, and he was credited with another half-sack in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Personal life

Hill's middle name Jor-El was taken from the comic book character of the same name.[13] His brother, Justice Hill, played running back for the Oklahoma State Cowboys and was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.[14]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2022 CIN 15 2 16 11 5 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2023 CIN 17 17 110 72 38 1.5 11 2 20 10.0 20 0 0 0 0 0
Career 32 19 126 83 43 1.5 11 2 20 10.0 20 0 0 0 0 0

Playoffs

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast Sck PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2022 CIN 3 0 2 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 3 0 2 1 1 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0

References

  1. ^ Unrah, Jacob (December 6, 2018). "Tulsa Washington's Dax Hill named Oklahoma's Gatorade Player of Year". Oklahoman.com. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  2. ^ VanHaaren, Tom (September 19, 2018). "Michigan bolsters 2019 class with No. 14 Hill". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  3. ^ Baumgardner, Nick (December 19, 2018). "Daxton Hill, a 5-star safety, signs with Michigan football". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  4. ^ McMann, Aaron (July 6, 2020). "Michigan S Daxton Hill poised for big jump in second season". mlive. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Sang, Orion (September 30, 2020). "Michigan football's Dax Hill called perhaps best cover guy in Big Ten by Don Brown". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  6. ^ McMann, Aaron (August 13, 2021). "Michigan plans to play Daxton Hill all over the field". mlive. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Lozon, Von (January 6, 2022). "Daxton Hill declares for 2022 NFL Draft". Maize n Brew. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  8. ^ "Daxton Hill Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "2022 Draft Scout Daxton Hill, Michigan NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  10. ^ Hobson, Geoff (April 28, 2022). "Bengals Go With Speed in Michigan's Dax Hill At No. 31". Bengals.com. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  11. ^ "Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - December 18th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  12. ^ "Bengals reveal first depth chart of 2023 season ahead of Week 1 vs. Browns". Bengals Wire. September 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Hobson, Geoff (April 29, 2022). "Dax Hill Living Up To His Name As Bengals Welcome A Warrior On Defense". Bengals.com. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  14. ^ Ruiz, Nathan (September 26, 2018). "OSU football: Justice Hill proud of brother's Michigan decision". Oklahoman.com. Retrieved February 15, 2023.

External links

2022 NFL Draft first-round selections
Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft picks
Cincinnati Bengals 2022 NFL draft selections
Cincinnati Bengals roster
Categories