The ongoing journey for Bengals' Dax Hill is far more interesting than the destination

On top of a being in completely different spot on the field, the responsibilities of playing safety greatly differ before the snap. When Hill was watching from the sidelines as a rookie in 2022, the Bengals relied heavily on Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell making pre-snap calls and shifts, getting everyone else in the back half of the defense lined up.

The post-snap work was just as vital as Bates and Bell would show one coverage look and play an entirely different coverage after the snap. Their cohesion and communicative skills were invaluable to one of the best defenses in the league.

Hill never showed much of any promise fulfilling these tasks because it wasn't anything close to what he succeeded at in college. He was a slot defender who could cover receivers and tight ends alike. It was the most obvious takeaway from his tape.

"He's a superb athlete, he's got great size, and he did a good amount of coverage at Michigan," Taylor said of Hill. "Playing inside there, covering slots, played some outside. We've seen it from him, and we think it's the best opportunity right now to help our team."

There is a difference between being an outside cornerback and a nickelback, of course. The kinds of receivers you face, the release packages and route concepts you have to mirror and counter, etc. Hill was a natural in the slot, but his best chance of playing immediately would be on the outside. That doesn't mean it's where he will eventually play again.

Where and when Dax Hill will eventually start for Bengals?

There's a very real chance that Hill doesn't have a starting job by the time Week 1 rolls around. Injuries may pop up, and Hill could surprise as a better-than-expected outside corner, but the odds are not in his favor to be with the first-team defense.

No matter how you spin it, that's not ideal for a former first-round pick entering his third season. Nothing about his professional career has been ideal anyways, but Hill didn't seem too stressed when discussing the move back to the position group he was a part of in college.

"I love covering, that's something I've always done pretty well in college," Hill told reporters Monday. "So I’m kind of just glad that I’m back in that same similar role and just looking forward to competing.”

Going from safety to cornerback is technically a change, but for a player who had to make the opposite transition first, it's for sure a welcoming change. 

Hill is slated to compete for a starting cornerback job, and the incumbent with the best chance of losing out is his former Michigan teammate, DJ Turner II. The second-round pick from 2023 started his rookie season on a high note before falling back down to earth later in the year. 

Nevertheless, Turner is a natural cornerback and has exclusively played the position in recent years. He's going to have a leg up on Hill when the battle begins this Summer. 

The most likely role Hill ends up having this year is the first cornerback off the bench. He'll practice and starter wherever he's needed if injuries occur. 

Next year, however, is when he'll finally arrive at his destination. 

2025 is when everything comes together

Hill is perfectly positioned to take over for Mike Hilton as the starting slot defender in Cincinnati.

2024 is Hilton's contract year, and his 30th birthday was back in March. No matter how much of a fan favorite or an on-field catalyst he is, his time in Cincinnati will be over when his contract expires. There's simply too much recent precedent of similar situations to ignore. Look no further than Tyler Boyd and DJ Reader this offseason.

With this inevitability on the horizon, Hill will spend time in the meeting room with Hilton, running the same drills in practice as him. He may even rep behind him during the season. It's his natural position, and the one that got him drafted by the Bengals in the first place.

The fact that it'll take three full years to get to this point will stick out like a thorn. The process of which they drafted Hill to play the wrong position, and lose Bates a year later, is bad. Hill will also be in the last year of his contract unless the club exercises his fifth-year option. 

All of that is independent outside of who Hill is, and how to best utilize him. 

Moving him back to where he belongs is the first step. Taking over for Hilton will be the full circle moment that made such a whacky and unnecessary journey worth it.