Meet the Prospect: Daxton Hill

Name: Daxton Hill Position: Safety School: Michigan Ht/Wt: 6-0, 191 40-yard dash: 4.38 Bench: Did not bench Vertical: 37 inches (pro day) Broad: 122 inches (pro day) 3-cone: 6.57 seconds 20-yard shuttle: 4.06 secondsHow he fits: Hill was a jack-of-all-trades for the Wolverines' defense the last three years, but particularly this past season. Michigan listed Hill as a defensive back and not a safety for good reason. He played the slot, deep safety and came down and played in the box for the Wolverines. On top of all that position versatility, Hill is terrific in run support, which makes him one the best all-around defensive backs in this class. Some teams might view him as a safety, while others could see him playing cornerback. Hill recorded 69 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and led Michigan in both passes defended (11) and interceptions (2) this past season. Hill’s ability to play a split safety role – which Detroit runs on defense – or come down and play in the slot will make him an attractive prospect for a lot of teams. Detroit re-signed Tracy Walker to a long-term deal this offseason, but did lose fellow starter Dean Marlowe in free agency. It will be interesting to see what head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn do with defensive back Will Harris. Does Harris revert back to safety to start the spring? Does he stay at corner? That will play a factor in Detroit’s need at the position, but even if Harris goes back to playing safety, the Lions could certainly be in the mix to bolster that position. Lions GM Brad Holmes said this is a very good class of defensive backs, including safety. As it stands right now, the Lions have Walker, Harris, C.J. Moore, Jalen Elliott, JuJu Hughes and Brady Breeze at safety. It certainly makes sense for the Lions to add to that group in this draft.Key observations: Hill appeared in 33 career games with 23 starts in the secondary, and also contributed on special teams. He was a first team All-Big Ten honoree this past season. Hill earned a 78.5 coverage grade overall by Pro Football Focus in 2021. Playing in the slot, Hill forced seven incompletions and nine passing stops, ranking second and seventh in the FBS by PFF. Hill’s older brother (Justice) played running back at Oklahoma State and was a fourth-round pick (No. 113 overall) in 2019 by the Baltimore Ravens. What they had to say about him: “Overall, Hill might not have elite size or length, but his versatile package of skills (athletic range, toughness, football IQ) make him the ideal nickel defender in today’s NFL. He should be a rookie starter as either a split safety or slot defender.” Dane Brugler, The AthleticHow he stacks up: Brugler lists Hill as the second best safety prospect in this class behind Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton, and the No. 20 overall prospect. Hill comes in at No. 19 on Daniel Jeremiah’s Top 50 list of prospects in this class. CBS Sports also lists Hill as the No. 19 overall prospect and No. 2 safety behind Hamilton. Scouts Inc. lists Hill as the No. 23 overall prospect. What he had to say: “It was a lot on my plate for sure going from more predominantly man to a lot of different type of coverages as well as man,” Hill told the Detroit News of his expanded role in Michigan’s defense last year. “At first it was kinda hard to get adjusted to it, but after I got used to playing in that type of defense, getting more reps in practice, everything was normal.”