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The Dallas Cowboys had quite a scare when their 2019 2nd round pick, defensive tackleTrysten Hill was carted off the field with an unknown injury. The scene occurred at the team’s first training camp session in Oxnard, CA on Saturday. It wasn’t a high-contact practice so it was an unusual injury. However, it has been reported that it was only cramping.
ESPN’s Todd Archer confirms it was believed to only be cramping that took the rookie defensive tackle off the field.
Second round pick Trysten Hill left practice early because he was cramping. He was taken to the locker room on a cart but did not appear to be in pain. First practice was designed to ease the players into camp with. I offense vs. defense work.
The original tweet from NFL Network’s Jane Slater was a bit unsettling for Cowboys’ fans.
#Cowboys 2nd round pick Trysten Hill carted off practice field. Injury unclear currently
Since that point, fans have anxiously awaited an official update on Hill’s status, as the former UCF product is slated to have a chance at pushing for a role early on during his young career. Heading into his first NFL training camp, Hill is one of the many interesting names on a young Cowboys defense to monitor in the build-up to the 2019 season.
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Trysten Hill’s UCF Career
During his three seasons with the Knights, Hill played in 33 games, tallying 71 combined tackles. Over that stretch, he had 20.0 tackles for loss with 6.0 sacks and posted an impressive stat line during his junior year in 2018. His final collegiate season wrapped up with 36 total tackles, 10.5 for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Hill was the No. 58 overall selection in the draft by the Cowboys and stands 6-foot-3 while weighing roughly 310 pounds. He was the team’s first player picked in this draft, as they traded their first-round selection to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for Amari Cooper.
Hill played defensive end throughout his high school career and even during his freshman season at UCF. The move to defensive tackle was made during his sophomore year in 2017.
Cowboys’ Defensive Outlook Heading Into 2019
While much of the talk throughout the 2019 NFL offseason surrounding the Cowboys has been about the contracts of Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, the team’s defense is an interesting talking point. Specifically, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who received a massive five-year, $105 million contract extension, per NFL.com.
Lawrence is the anchor of the team’s pass-rush, tallying 25 sacks over the past two seasons and proving to be dominant in key moments along the way. But in terms of the Cowboys’ outlook at defensive tackle, there’s a bit of an unknown. While Maliek Collins is slated in with the first team, Hill will likely battle with Antwaun Wood for the starting job next to him.
Regardless, the UCF product will surely have a decent role in the 2019 season and an opportunity to make an impact during his rookie year. As far as how much playing time Hill could realistically see, that may come down to how he looks in training camp and the preseason, assuming his injury doesn’t prove to be anything severe.
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