Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill has been a fast riser at training camp this year after making the position change.
Onlookers don’t need much in the way of explanation from the team or analysts on that one — the former first-round pick was making big plays during the preseason opener and has been working over former second-rounder DJ Turner in practice.
But it sure doesn’t hurt to hear huge praise from Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin, either.
“You can see that he’s really starting to get comfortable out there,” Tobin said, according to Dan Hoard. “He’s showing us the traits that he can be an outstanding corner in this league.”
Moving Hill off safety to the boundary cornerback spot was one of the biggest points of emphasis for the Bengals this offseason. They added Geno Stone in free agency to seek another possible Jessie Bates replacement and brought back veteran Vonn Bell to help fix the communication woes from last year and mentor the breakout candidate Jordan Battle.
So far, the move has paid off in a big way and the Bengals emerge as huge winners from the ordeal. Hill indeed looks like a prototypical boundary corner and it could mean having a first-rounder across from Cam Taylor-Britt for the future, while the combination of Turner and breakout rookie Josh Newton fight for snaps in the slot. Given how important the fourth corner is in Lou Anarumo’s scheme, these developments are good news for the present and future.
Obviously, this is great news for Hill, too, as he heads into his third season and the decision on his fifth-year option comes into focus.
