Over the past few seasons, Mike Hilton has become a fan favorite in every sense. Pittsburgh Steelers fans love him and what he brings to the team. But because he plays on a stacked defense, with the likes of T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Heyward, he is often overlooked. But if Hilton’s impact hasn’t been apparent from the past three seasons, it’s very clear through two games of 2020. It’s time for Mike Hilton to get more credit for what he brings to the Steelers defense. He is a tone-setter with a unique skillset who brings a lot to the table.
Give Mike Hilton Some Credit
Presence in the Backfield
While he is a great all-around player, Mike Hilton does his best work in the opposing team’s backfield. His ability to blitz as a nickel cornerback is elite and might be the best in the NFL. Through two games this year, he has already racked up two sacks. His career high is four sacks in a season, a mark he should definitely surpass this year. Hilton’s three tackles for loss so far this season bring his career total to 25, the most of any cornerback in the NFL since Hilton’s rookie year. Mike Hilton is also disruptive in the sense that when he approaches the line of scrimmage, opposing quarterbacks notice. Just the threat of him blitzing is enough to put pressure on the opposing offense.
Hilton’s statistical standings on the team through two weeks are insane. His four quarterback hits and three tackles for loss both tie him for second on the team, behind Watt and Vince Williams, respectively. Two sacks on the season puts Hilton in second place, behind Watt who has 2.5. Hilton’s 13 total tackles also rank second on the team, behind only Devin Bush who has 14 total tackles. Remember, Hilton is a nickel cornerback who has only played 67% of total defensive snaps so far this season. The makes the numbers that Mike Hilton is putting up even more remarkable.
Mike Hilton in Coverage
For all the good things that can be said about Hilton the blitzer, he is above respectable in coverage, too. He is allowing a 60% completion percentage when targeted. That number isn’t out of this world, and it’s worse than his 54.5% from last year, but it’s still a good mark. More impressively, Hilton is allowing a passer rating of just 64.6, a very good number that would be his career best by almost 20 points.
Perhaps the most impressive of Hilton’s numbers this season are that he’s allowed just five yards per completion and three yards per target. Those numbers certainly won’t hold through the whole season because they are absurdly low, but they are impressive nonetheless. And these great numbers can’t be attributed to Hilton only covering the flats or check-downs. On average, he has been 12.9 yards downfield when targeted this season. He’s not just covering routes at the line of scrimmage. Simply put, he’s just really solid in coverage.
The Bad News
Unfortunately, there is some bad news in addition to all of this praise, at least for Steelers fans. Pittsburgh almost certainly won’t be able to give Hilton a new contract this off-season. Their salary cap situation means there will be several key pieces who won’t be back in Pittsburgh next season. With the way he is playing, Hilton is almost guaranteed to earn a bigger contract than the Steelers will be able to pay. This is even more apparent when you consider Cameron Sutton, another solid slot cornerback who has played well when called upon, is sitting behind Hilton and will be much cheaper. So Steelers fans should be sure to appreciate Hilton the rest of this season as their defense looks to help carry the team to a championship. Because the odds are very slim that he will be a Pittsburgh Steeler next year.
*all stats used are via Pro Football Reference*
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