Daxton Hill S Michigan: Scouting Report

Height: 6’1’’

Weight: 191

Overall

Daxton Hill is a dynamic safety in Michigan’s heavy man coverage defense. In his 3 college seasons, he played in 33 games, starting 23 of them. He is very athletic and was used primarily in the slot as a coverage corner. He has a lot of versatility and with his size and coverage skills, he can match up in man coverage and play over the top.

Pass Game

Hill lined up in the slot for a majority of his film and was used in both man and zone coverage. In man coverage, he has good footwork and technique to mirror his man but lacks the hip fluidity needed to cover more shifty slot receivers. At the catch point, he does a good job of tracking the ball but needs to be more physical in ripping the ball away. At times he played perfect coverage down the field but when the ball got to the receiver he was overpowered allowing big plays. In zone coverage, he has excellent speed to cover a lot of ground and he has very good awareness in reading the quarterback’s eyes and making plays on the ball. He is a true coverage safety who played strictly in the slot, but he has the athleticism to be used over the top as well.

Run Game

In the run game, Hill is inconsistent. Against Western Michigan this past season, he showed very good aggressiveness in getting off blocks and driving to the football. In other games, he was much more passive against the run, and he struggled making open field tackles. He has the size and closing speed to be a strong run defender, but he needs to improve his physicality to make him a more balanced safety.

Last Word

Hill projects best as a free safety who can primarily play coverage in the slot and over the top of the defense. His lack of tackling ability is concerning for a player of his position and while he does have very good coverage skills for a safety, he will have issues defending quick slot receivers at the next level. He will play his best guarding tight ends and running backs in man coverage, while being used all over the field in zone. He has experience on special teams as well which increases his value.

One-Liner: Daxton Hill is versatile safety with very good coverage skills, but his lack of run support will make it difficult for him to find a true position that he can excel at in the NFL.

Grade: 6.7 (Solid Starter on All 3 Downs)

Games Watched: 2021 – Ohio State, Wisconsin, Western Michigan, Penn State

Team Fits: Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Washington Commanders