{"id":863849,"date":"2026-04-11T09:45:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T09:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/863849\/"},"modified":"2026-04-11T09:45:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T09:45:30","slug":"buccaneers-scouts-divided-on-linebacker-anthony-hills-nfl-potential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/863849\/","title":{"rendered":"Buccaneers Scouts Divided on Linebacker Anthony Hill’s NFL Potential"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA cubist interpretation of a hard-hitting linebacker’s physicality and instincts, key traits that NFL scouts are debating for prospect Anthony Hill.Today in Tampa<\/p>\n

In the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper has projected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to select Texas linebacker Anthony Hill in the second round. However, some NFL scouts have expressed concerns about Hill’s lack of natural instincts and physicality, leading to a divide on his draft value.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

With the retirement of longtime Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David, the team has a clear need at the position. The Bucs have emphasized adding physical, hard-nosed defenders this offseason, so Hill’s perceived shortcomings in those areas could make him a questionable fit for Tampa Bay’s defensive identity.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

Kiper believes Hill’s size, athleticism, and production at Texas make him an ideal target for the Buccaneers. But one scout noted that Hill struggles with taking on blockers and reading plays, while another said he lacks the natural ‘linebacker mentality.’ Despite his impressive stats, including 249 tackles, 17 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 8 forced fumbles, some scouts view Hill as more of a Day 3 prospect rather than a second-round value.<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Mel Kiper<\/p>\n

ESPN NFL draft analyst who has projected the Buccaneers to select Texas linebacker Anthony Hill in the second round of the 2026 draft.<\/p>\n

Anthony Hill<\/p>\n

A linebacker prospect from the University of Texas who has drawn mixed reviews from NFL scouts ahead of the 2026 draft.<\/p>\n

Lavonte David<\/p>\n

Longtime starting linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who recently retired, creating a need at the position.<\/p>\n

Jason Licht<\/p>\n

General manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who has emphasized adding physical, hard-nosed defenders to the team’s roster this offseason.<\/p>\n

Bob McGinn<\/p>\n

Veteran NFL writer who has spoken to scouts who rank Hill as the eighth-best linebacker in the 2026 draft class and believe he is not a good value for the Buccaneers in the second round.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cOne scout noted that Hill’s take-on ability is not great, and he’s not a natural reader of plays. He’s built like a pro, but there are question marks when it comes to his instincts and physicality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Anonymous Scout<\/p>\n

\u201cMcGinn’s contacts suggest that Hill is not the instinctive or physical player he’s hyped up to be. His biomechanical issues and average athleticism are red flags, and his lack of a linebacker mentality could be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bob McGinn, Veteran NFL Writer<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Buccaneers will have the opportunity to evaluate Hill and other linebacker prospects at the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 24-26.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

The Buccaneers’ need at linebacker and their focus on adding physical, hard-nosed defenders this offseason could make Anthony Hill a risky pick in the second round, given the mixed reviews from NFL scouts on his instincts, physicality, and overall fit for Tampa Bay’s defensive identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a A cubist interpretation of a hard-hitting linebacker’s physicality and instincts,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":863850,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2077],"tags":[211,7,6,704,250,2597,2596],"class_list":{"0":"post-863849","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa-bay-buccaneers","8":"tag-buccaneers","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-tampa-bay","12":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","13":"tag-tampabay","14":"tag-tampabaybuccaneers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116385438050337326","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/863849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=863849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/863849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/863850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=863849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=863849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=863849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}