Scout: D Hill Is Best Michigan DB Since Woodson!

[BFritz21]

Talk about how praise: a scout suggests Daxton Hill will be the best Michigan DB since Charles Woodson!

Woodson was the man and could do it all! He could play safety or corner or in the slot, and that's the kind of versatility that Lou loves! I'm liking the pick more and more because it opens things up for our defense!

Quote:The Cincinnati Bengals stuck to their board at the end of the first round of the NFL Draft. They took the best player available, and that seemed to be far and away Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill.

He was definitely the best player available because I thought he'd be gone in the top fifteen!

Quote:The traits that made Hill a first round talent included his incredible athletic profile that allows him to project at any defensive back position, and he could fill in at those areas at a very high level.

The appeal with Hill is his versatility to play anywhere in the secondary. He can attach himself to slot receivers as a nickel, play more of a two-safety look, and he could realistically line up outside with his above-average athleticism. One scout told me that Hill will be the best defensive back out of Michigan since Charles Woodson, and it is hard to disagree.

Woodson is a name that many NFL fans are familiar with. He had an illustrious 18-year career where he played both corner and safety. He is easily one of the best defensive backs since the turn of the millennium with 65 interceptions (fifth all-time), 18 fumble recoveries and a total of 13 touchdowns. His 11 interceptions returned for touchdowns are also second all-time in NFL history. This career earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Like I said, the versatility is important, especially since players can do so many different things in today's NFL!

I love that he's an athlete and can just make plays anywhere on the field. I wasn't sure about our draft strategy but it's really coming into focus: get a bunch of guys on defense that can do a lot of different things, which makes it very hard for a coordinator to game plan for.

Quote:No one here is putting that projection or expectations onto Hill. Especially since he hasn’t even played a down in the NFL yet. However, it is clear he has all the tools to be a playmaker in the NFL for a very long time. He also plays in a defense that will be able to put him in positions to make those plays by lining up in multiple places.

It is great to see that people who study the game see that kind of potential in Cincinnati’s first round selection. Hopefully he reaches that, and we can all watch a Hall of Fame career play out on the defensive side of the ball.

This pick is starting to get me excited, especially playing alongside Bell and Bates!