The Cincinnati Bengals spent their first-round pick in this year's draft on Michigan defensive back Dax Hill. Fans had mixed thoughts on this pick but it was obvious that the team made this selection so that they'd have a replacement for Jessie Bates when he inevitably leaves.
Hill made a comment before the season began that he wanted to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and that was a goal that, at the time, seemed pretty farfetched for the rookie. He was sitting with +4000 odds for DROTY when he made that comment but things have only gotten more difficult for the Michigan product.
After four games, Hill now has +10000 odds to be crowned Defensive Rookie of the Year, per FanDuel. Talk about an obstacle!
Dax Hill has work to do if he wants to win Defensive Rookie of the Year
Hill's huge hit in odds has been because he hasn't seen the field much. The first-round rookie has mostly seen the field when playing on special teams, appearing in 39% of the snaps there compared to just 5% of the defensive snaps.
It's hard for Hill to make an impression as a defensive rookie when he's not seeing the field on that side of the ball. Even if he plays well as a special teamer, that's not going to win him the award.
Hill could still end up working his way onto the field if injuries stack up but for now, he has a tough task ahead of him to accomplish his goal he made before the season began.