CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo told play-by-play announcer Dan Hoard that Dax Hill has the traits of the best outside cornerbacks to ever play the position.
When informed of that, Hill said Anarumo hadn’t told him that.
“I feel like it’s a good thing he didn’t tell me,” Hill laughed.
The 2022 first-round pick is making the switch from safety to cornerback and fighting former Michigan teammate DJ Turner II for the starting job in one of the most intriguing position battles in training camp.
Lou Anarumo: Bengals CB Dax Hill Has Traits of Best To Ever Do It
Anarumo’s praise, even if it came second-hand, is validating for a young player trying to win a position at the same time he’s learning how to play it.
“You want that in terms of coaches trusting you and putting you in a position like this right now,” Hill said. “I feel like I have the tools, like he said. I’m just sharpening those tools every day.”
How well Hill can man-cover elite wide receivers is going to go a long way in determining whether he’s one of the starting 11 on Sept. 8 when the Bengals open against the New England Patriots.
Hill spent most of Day 1 of camp locked up with Tee Higgins, and at some point, he’s going to have the opportunity to match skills with Ja’Marr Chase, who has sat out the first two practices while waiting for a new contract.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin threw his support behind Hill earlier this week at the pre-camp luncheon.
“Can he do it? Is he physically capable of doing it? Will he succeed? I would say ‘Yes’ to all those things,” Tobin said. “I’ve seen him do it. I saw him do it in college. I’ve seen him cover man in the NFL. I know what he can do. It’s not a question of whether he has the feet, hips speed, explosiveness, and willingness to tackle, and so forth. I’ve seen him do all the things he will need to do out there. He just hasn’t been called a corner yet.”
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One of the biggest plays in Thursday’s practice involved Joe Burrow’s best throw of the first two days of camp. Burrow threw a perfect deep ball up the left side to wide receiver Shedrick Jackson, who was blanketed by Hill.
Jackson still caught the pass.
Hill was happy with his coverage, but he was critical of his release.
“Just the start of the rep, I felt like my feet weren’t the best,” he said. “And it’s just those small details I can clean up on so I can make those types of plays.
“I was really dialed in with my trainer in terms of my footwork (during the offseason),” Hill continued. “I feel like that’s the biggest thing right now, just getting my feet right. Covering top-tier receivers week in and week out, I feel like that’s something that needs to be pristine and precise every day.”
There are, of course, other elements to playing outside corner, and Hill made a couple of strong plays Thursday using his recognition and athleticism.
Dax Hill leads the team in tackles for loss (4) and is tied for most in the NFL among secondary players. He also leads the team in total tackles 👏 pic.twitter.com/bgCQNs2ruy
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals)
On a sweep by Chris Evans, Hill got into the backfield to get to the running back for a tackle for loss.
Later in practice, Jackson caught a screen pass from Burrow, and Hill crashed through again to stop the play for no gain.
“Whenever I go up to the line, I’m seeing what’s in front of me and reading that,” Hill said. “That’s the biggest thing at corner, just seeing what’s in front of you and getting a clear picture before the ball’s snapped. That’s something I’ve been preparing myself for.”
It might feel as though there’s a long way to go in camp, but the days expire fast. Hill knows he doesn’t have much time to settle into a comfort zone, especially because he knows how well his former college teammate is playing as he tries to beat him out for the job.
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“I’m not timid at all,” Hill said. “Even though it’s the second day, I feel like I’m growing. It’s slowing down day by day. I’ll eventually get to where ‘OK, I can play around with what I’m doing and playing the cat and mouse game.’
“Once you’re comfortable, the confidence will come, and then it’s sky’s-the-limit,” he continued. “You take baby steps, and then once you’re at the peak, I’m gonna keep going.”
