DH #23

Dax Hill

Cornerback · Michigan

A former first-round safety turned cornerback whose 2025 comeback from a torn ACL reestablished him as a key piece of Cincinnati's secondary.

Dax Hill was the Bengals' first-round bet in 2022, a Michigan product with the range to play multiple spots in the secondary. After a position switch to cornerback and a season-ending ACL tear, he fought back in 2025 to reclaim a starting role.

★ First-round pick, No. 31 overall (2022)

★ First-team All-Big Ten at Michigan (2021)

★ Over 230 career tackles and three interceptions through 2025

Path to the league

Hill starred at Michigan from 2019 to 2021, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior before declaring for the draft. The Cincinnati Bengals selected him 31st overall in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the second safety taken that year behind Kyle Hamilton.

Career highlights

Hill broke out in 2023 as the Bengals' starting free safety, recording his first career interception in Week 1 and a season-high 12 tackles against Baltimore. Cincinnati converted him to cornerback in 2024, where he won the starting job before a torn ACL in Week 5 ended that season early.

2025 season recap

Hill worked back from his ACL tear throughout the offseason and returned to the field in 2025 at outside cornerback, finishing the year with a strong stretch of play that quieted questions about his recovery. The Bengals had already exercised his fifth-year option in April 2025, locking in a guaranteed 2026 salary north of $12.6 million.