Bengals To Play Dax Hill At Outside CB

“Dax absolutely has grown as an outside corner,” Taylor said (via Sports Illustrated’s Jay Morrison). “That’s where we want him to play. That’s absolutely where he’s going to play.” 

Hill, 25, primarily lined up in the slot in college and continued in that role in his limited playing time as a first-round pick in 2022. He moved to safety in 2023, where he contributed in the run game and as a blitzer but earned a 43.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) that ranked sixth-worst at the position.

Hill’s play stabilized in 2024 with a switch to outside cornerback – his coverage grade jumped to 68.0 – but a torn ACL in Week 5 prematurely ended his season. He recovered in time for Week 1 and returned to a more diverse role with 409 snaps on the boundary, 366 in the slot, and 209 in the box. Performance-wise, he picked up right where he left off a similar coverage grade and statistics (yards per reception and target allowed) as the year before, opening up the potential for a more versatile role moving forward. However, Taylor indicated that Hill will primarily operate on the outside, though he noted that any corner may “go inside for coverage reasons.”

2023 second-round pick DJ Turner will be lining up on the opposite boundary from Hill, but the Bengals’ plans at nickel are still taking shape. Hill led the team in slot snaps last year, followed by nine-year veteran Jalen Davis, who appeared in seven games (three starts). Davis has been taking first-team reps, but several other players could push for the role. Among them are Ja’Sir Taylor, who primarily played in the slot for the Chargers in 2024, and 2025 UDFA Bralyn Lux, who is seen as a “dark-horse candidate” by Morrison. Safety Kyle Dugger has some experience in the slot – though less in the last two years – and could factor into the picture as well.