Zac Taylor speaks about Cincinnati Bengals 2025 NFL draft picks video
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor speaks at a press conference after Bengals make all their picks for the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals plan to exercise their fifth-year option on 2022 first-round pick cornerback Dax Hill, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
In picking up the option on Hill, it gives the team and Hill an additional year together without agreeing to a contract extension. Hill will be under contract with the Bengals through the 2026 season on a pre-determined salary.
The NFL allows this option for teams for only first-round picks. A typical rookie contract is four years, and the fifth-year option was created to give teams one more season of control over their first-round pick.
Dax Hill salary with Cincinnati Bengals
Hill’s salary for the 2026 season is projected to be $12.682 million, according to OverTheCap.com. Cincinnati drafted Hill with No. 31 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of the University of Michigan.
For most first-round picks, by the end of their third year, the team knows what they have with the player and it’s an easy decision to pick up the fifth-year option. The situation with Hill is complicated for a number of reasons.
Dax Hill history with the Cincinnati Bengals
When the Bengals selected Hill, the vision was for him to be Jessie Bates’ replacement. It was clear the Bengals and Bates were going to be going their separate ways after the season and Hill was picked to be the future at the position.
Hill started in two games in the 2022 season while sitting behind Bates in his first season. The 2023 season was always the year planned by all for Hill to take over as the full-time starter. While starting all 17 games, Hill’s first year as a starter didn’t go as planned.
He was inconsistent and the Bengals’ play in the secondary reflected a disconnect at the safety position alongside Nick Scott who was benched in the middle of the season and then cut following the year. Hill struggled to be able to communicate and often failed to make plays in coverage when needed. The Bengals went out and signed safety Geno Stone to replace Hill as their free safety.
Dax Hill move to cornerback
After the 2023 season, coach Zac Taylor moved Hill to cornerback where he battled DJ Turner for a starting spot during training camp.
“We think it’s the best opportunity right now to help our team,” Taylor said in April of 2024.
Hill excelled in his position switch to outside cornerback during the offseason and training camp. He beat Turner out for the starting role and played on the opposite side of Cam Taylor-Britt. Hill appeared to have found his home as an outside cornerback in the NFL and was Cincinnati’s best cover cornerback last season until he suffered a torn ACL limiting him to just five games.
This is why the Bengals’ decision on Hill’s future is multifaceted but now we know they’ll have the next two seasons to figure it out.
Where will Dax Hill play next season?
When Hill is cleared to return, will the Bengals keep him at outside cornerback where he was playing his best football? Or will defensive coordinator Al Golden move Hill to nickel cornerback where Mike Hilton served as the team’s starter for the last three seasons?
The team is high on second-year cornerback Josh Newton and his best home appears to be inside at slot cornerback. He will enter the offseason program with a chance to win the starting spot.
Dax Hill vs. DJ Turner for cornerback position
Cincinnati’s No. 2 starting cornerback spot is up for grabs again this season. Turner has yet to prove he can stay healthy for the full season after his season was also cut short last year due to injury. The ideal situation for the Bengals would likely be to have Cam Taylor-Britt, Turner and Hill all competing again for starting jobs outside and Newton winning the job inside. There’s also this question: If Hill doesn’t return with the same speed and athleticism, would he then have to move inside?
At some point, the Bengals need to give Hill a clear direction on where his home is going to be. Paying Hill almost $13 million to be a slot cornerback would be expensive for the position. That’s why it seems like the most logical thing for the Bengals to do is to give Hill a chance to get comfortable playing outside and keep him there for the next two seasons if they do pick up his option.
Most No.1 outside cornerbacks in the NFL make north of $20 million on an average annual basis. If Hill ends up returning to the form he was playing at before injuring his knee, this would be a bargain for the Bengals.
There’s no question about Hill’s talent and what he can bring to the Bengals’ defense when healthy and in the right position. The Bengals owe themselves and Hill the opportunity to find out where he truly belongs in the NFL.