Tommi Hill has been a cornerstone of the Nebraska secondary since he arrived from Arizona State in 2022. Here is a 2025 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report and film analysis on him.
Overview, Film Analysis, and Early 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report of Nebraska DB Tommi Hill
Measurables:
- 6’0”
- 205 lbs
Player Background:
Tommi Hill was ranked as a four-star prospect and Top-250 national recruit in the 2021 class out of Edgewater HS and took his talents to Arizona State. He spent just one season with the Sun Devils, appearing in 11 contests, making nine tackles, and racking up 79 yards on four kick returns. He entered the portal that offseason and found a home at Nebraska, where he spent the last three years of his collegiate career.
Hill switched to receiver halfway through the 2022 season, not posting any offensive statistics but racking up 17 tackles with four pass deflections in five games on defense. The offensive experiment briefly continued in 2023, but he made the full-time commitment to corner and dominated. He made 26 tackles in 12 games, batting away nine passes and picking off four more. He got shut down halfway through his senior campaign in 2024, recording 21 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss, one PBU, and one INT in seven games.
Accolades:
- All-Big 10 Honorable Mention (2023)
Strengths/Pros:
Hill is at his best in zone coverage and when attacking the ball at catch point. He has solid size and length that lets him cover space and he’s a quick decision-maker who attacks zone openings with high intent. He tracks the ball well in the air and gets into good positions to make a play on it when available. His aggression comes alive on screens, bashing through blockers and making himself a factor on the outside.
His backpedal is very visually appealing and his hips are fluid enough to rotate and survive on an island against faster wideouts. Hill’s feet can operate smoothly away from his base and he sticks receivers even when he gets put somewhat off balance. He slows himself down and stays patient at the line on delayed releases, preventing early separation well. He’s a solid tackler who uses his length to target the lower half and close gaps quickly.
Weaknesses/Cons:
Inconsistency is at the center of most of Hill’s concerns as a prospect in all aspects of his game. His performance and technique across his collegiate career had plenty of ups and downs, and a nagging foot injury hasn’t helped. He’s often slow when planting and shooting back on comeback routes and allows some easy gains because of it. His hips do tend to drift up out of his base when maintaining outside leverage in a longer-maintaining backpedal.
Hill gets caught with his hands at his sides at times, making his movement look somewhat choppy. It also makes it more difficult for him to gain momentum quickly when closing out routes. He cheats too much with his lower half when getting physical at the line and leaves himself open for savvy WRs to beat him over the top. He needs to be more aware of his coverage support downfield, missing some opportunities to crash on short routes when he has help behind him.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
There’s no question that Hill is an NFL-caliber player, the unknown is simply how good he can be. Resolving his plantar fasciitis, a foot injury that very clearly hampered his 2024 play, will be a big factor early in his career. His frame and foundational abilities should be enough for a team to take a chance on him within the first three rounds. If he can stay healthy and look more like his 2023 self, he could be a quality starter for a long time.
Prospect Grade:
- Mid 3rd Round
Film Exposures:
- 2024 vs. Colorado
- 2024 vs. Illinois
- 2024 vs. UCLA
Main Photo: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
