Daxton Hill NFL Draft Overview
Position: Safety
Height: 6′-0″
Weight: 191 lbs.
School: Michigan
Daxton Hill 2022 NFL Draft Profile
Daxton Hill comes from a family that has a rich legacy in football. His older brother, Justice Hill, is a running back with the Baltimore Ravens. Daxton made a name for himself on the other side of the ball. Hill’s production in the secondary was legendary during his years at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It earned him Gatorade High School Player of the Year honors for the state in his senior season.
Hill chose Michigan despite receiving strong overtures from Oklahoma and Alabama. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh considered him the cornerstone piece of his 2019 recruiting class. Hill did not disappoint as he was a standout performer since his freshman season at Ann Arbor. He recorded 36 tackles (three for losses), one interception and three pass breakups in 13 games (three starts).
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Hill started all six games played by Michigan. He upped his production with 46 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups. Hill was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten at the league championship game.
In his final season at Michigan, Hill put all of his talents together. He had an outstanding season with 70 tackles (4.5 for losses), two interceptions and nine pass breakups in 14 starts. His effort earned him First-Team All-Big Ten honors.
Strengths
- Fast and athletic;
- Excellent “close the gap” defender;
- Versatile to play in several different pass schemes;
- Great open field tackler;
- Anticipates passes off quarterback movement in the pocket;
- Explosive in breaking up “over-the-top” pass routes;
- Fluid in backpedaling on pass coverage.
Weaknesses
- Struggles shedding blockers;
- Slow to react on vertical throws;
- Needs more upper-body strength;
- Needs to allow a play to develop;
- Too aggressive.
NFL Comparison: Harrison Smith
Teams With Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos
Projection: Late 1st or early 2nd round
Bottom Line on Daxton Hill
Hill is a work in progress. The organization that selects him will gain increased production from Hill every season he plays in the NFL. At this stage of his development, he may not be physical enough to play safety in the league. But his athleticism may force a coaching staff to consider moving him to a slot corner position.
The position requires a player who is fast and versatile to defend an assortment of receivers. Hill is rangy to cover fast, rugged tight ends on fad routes to the corner of the end zone. He is excellent at reading a quarterback’s eyes to determine where the football will be thrown. But Hill does have difficulty playing stacked fronts to stuff the run because his skill set does not equate to being a traditional safety. However, no other player in this draft class can pass defend in tight spaces like Hill. He has the speed to cover the league’s elite receivers deep downfield.
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