Interior defensive lineman B.J. Hill has signed a new contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hill was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He spent the 2021 season with the Cincinnati Bengals as a rotational/depth player.
The #Bengals keep a big one: BJ Hill gets 3 years and $30mil with $15mil in year one.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2022
B.J. Hill, Cincinnati Bengals, Agree to Contract
Sadly, Hill has not been viewed as a starter since his rookie season in New York. During the 2018 season, Hill started in 12 games. During this span, he recorded 48 combined tackles, 32 solo tackles, and five and a half sacks. Hill also registered eight quarterback hits and six tackles for loss. It was easily his best season as a professional athlete. He has yet to match that same level of production since. He registered a slightly above-average PFF grade of 69.1 that season.
In 2021, Hill was pretty productive as a rotational player with Cincinnati. During the 2021 season, he recorded 50 combined tackles, 29 solo tackles, and five and a half sacks. He also registered six tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits. An impressive feat when you consider he only started in two games during the regular season. 2021 was definitely the year where Hill found his ideal role in the league. Not everyone is built to be a starter in the NFL. Some players do one or two things particularly well and thus fit into a certain role exclusively. It would seem Hill is one of those players.
Hill is the perfect player to throw at the offensive line once they begin to show the slightest bit of fatigue. He is a big body capable of eating up blocks and freeing up the pass rushers and linebackers to do their thing. A fresh, 300+ pound player is the last thing an offensive lineman wants to see as his team attempts to drive the ball down the field.
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