The Cincinnati Bengals spent their first-round pick on Daxton Hill and he doesn’t want to let the organization down. Hill wants to have one of the best-ever rookie seasons for a defensive Bengals player and earn the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award when it’s all said and done.
This would be quite an incredible feat for Hill for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the safety position isn’t exactly a sexy one. In fact, a safety hasn’t won the prestigious award since Mark Carrier did so in 1990.
Another thing working against Hill, as sad as this might be, is that he plays for the Bengals. Yes, the trip to the Super Bowl helped up the Bengals’ stock but giving the Defensive Rookie of the Year nod to a safety and a member of the Bengals probably won’t happen unless he puts together a season for the ages.
Oh and there’s a third thing potentially working against Hill in his quest for Defensive Rookie of the Year. That third thing is the fact that Hill isn’t even slated to be a starter when Week 1 rolls around. That, of course, could change as the season progresses whether it be injuries or inconsistencies from the starters but as of now, Hill is a backup, which is something the frontrunners don’t have to worry about.
"I want to for sure win rookie defensive player of the year, showing Cincinnati what I can do." -@daxhill5
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 6, 2022
Bengals | @medmutual pic.twitter.com/O75QUx6J7N
Daxton Hill has lofty goals for 2022 season
FanDuel doesn’t love Hill’s odds of winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, currently giving him +4000 odds to do so. The frontrunners per FanDuel are Aidan Hutchinson of the Lions (+450), Kayvon Thibodeaux of the Giants (+800), and Kyle Hamilton of the Ravens (+1000). Hamilton is also a first-round safety so that’s something Hill has in common with someone in the top three.
Daxton Hill this preseason 🐅
— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) September 6, 2022
🔒 54 coverage snaps
🔒 15 receiving yards allowed
🔒 1 interception
🔒 56.3 passer rating allowed
🔒 74.8 PFF grade pic.twitter.com/aSGzN3flab
It’s great that Hill is determined and thinks that winning Defensive Rookie of the Year is attainable for him but it’s going to be a tough battle. He showed great potential during the preseason and fans are excited to see what he can do this year.
It’d be cool to see Daxton Hill win Defensive Rookie of the Year but it’ll be a tall task for the Michigan product.