Bengals 2025 Roster Breakdown: Dax Hill patiently working to come back at a position he knows well

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 9:20 AM ET

Bengals roster breakdown is back! During the 99 days leading up to Cincinnati’s regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns, the player with the matching jersey number as days remaining will become the day’s highlighted player.

23 days remain until the Bengals’ first game of the 2025 season, and we’re back in the slot with No. 23 Dax Hill.

Dax Hill

Age: 24
Year: 4th
Position: Cornerback
College: Michigan
Previous Teams: None
Jersey Number: 23

Hill enters his fourth season in the NFL and with the Bengals after being drafted 28th overall in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He spent three years at Michigan where he played in 33 games (23 starts) and earned first-team All-Big Ten in 2021 playing the "STAR" position, closely resembling that of a nickelback. Cincinnati drafted him as a safety but only played him for 150 snaps in 18 games (including postseason). He eventually took over for Jessie Bates III after the eventual Pro Bowler left during the 2023 offseason, and Hill's first year of real playing time didn't exactly pan out. He was then moved to cornerback in 2024 and won a starting job over former Michigan teammate DJ Turner II.

Hill's 2024 campaign was rounding into solidity until a torn ACL ended it just five weeks into the season. He was cleared to practice before the start of training camp and has had his workload managed since then.

Contract Details

Hill is entering the final year of his four-year, $11,667,018 rookie contract he signed back in 2022, but the club exercised his fifth-year option which will pay him $12.682 million for the 2026 season. For 2025, he will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $2,295,957. When adding on his signing bonus proration of $1,416,276, his salary cap hit for the season is $3,712,233.

Roster Outlook

Three years after becoming one of the best slot defenders at the college level, it appears the Bengals are preparing Hill to take up that position for the upcoming season. It will be his third position in as many years since first emerging as a starter, but reverting back to where his success originated from is far from the worst strategy at play here.

It was never a matter of whether or not Hill would start this year based on talent or need, but whether or not he'd be healthy in time for the beginning of the season. He's looking the part in the camp practices he's out there for, and the coaching staff will bring him up to 100% involvement before too long.

Redshirts, change, and injury have hampered Hill's career thus far, but he's never been more set up for success than right now .

Projected role: Starting nickelback