Nickel cornerbacks don’t always get the most love in the NFL, but the injury to Bengals nickelback Jalen Davis has put pressure on Dax Hill to once again display his versatility. This is nothing new for Hill, as versatility was the name of his game coming out of Michigan. Ironically, he was a nickel cornerback at Michigan before transitioning to safety early in his career for the Bengals. In 2024, he was moved to outside corner, alongside DJ Turner. That versatility has earned high praise from his teammate DJ Turner, who said, “He’s just different. He can do it all.”
Dax Hill Is the Ultimate Chess Piece
When Dax Hill was drafted in 2022, the Bengals knew they were getting a unique player. He was lauded for his ability to move around the defense, playing multiple roles in the secondary. Initially, the Bengals viewed nickel corner and safety as his main positions. As he established himself with the team, Bengals brass decided to add even more to his plate, moving him to outside corner alongside DJ Turner.
For the past two years, Hill seems to have found a home on the outside. In 2025, he had 11 passes defended, recorded an interception, and totaled 85 tackles on defense. Solid numbers for a No. 2 cornerback. In 2026, he seems to be stepping his game up even more, already recording 21 tackles and 5 passes defended through just 3 games. Now, because of injury, Hill will once again have to move inside and continue to play at a high level for this Bengals secondary to succeed.
What Is the Cost of Versatility?
Versatility seems to be a big buzzword in the NFL. In 2022, then-Saints head coach Sean Payton was quoted saying, “We say it all of the time in this league, the more you can do, the longer you stay around.” You’ll often hear a similar sentiment from coaches around the NFL, but I think it can be easy to lose track of what that really means. Playing one position in the NFL is no small order. Moving around and understanding two, three, or even more jobs adds even more stress and mental load on players.
This seems to hold true for Dax Hill. As Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported in May, Hill said with a smile, “Staying at one spot, I feel like that’s ideal for development and my mental health.” This is a completely reasonable stance from a player who has bounced around multiple positions already in his young career. Still, the NFL is a next-man-up league and sooner or later Payton’s “the more you can do” quote rings true again and again. To Hill’s credit, he seems to be embracing the change with open arms. According to a report from Bengals writer Geoff Hobson, Hill described the opportunity as a “Blessing. A great blessing.” He later added, “I’m excited for the moments, and I’ll be ready. I’ll never go out there for the team not prepared.”
While Hill sees his versatility as a blessing, from the outside, it would be justifiable to see it another way. Hill is not being moved inside because he has failed outside corner; he is being moved inside because he can play inside and because the Bengals need him to. Lucky for them, Hill has decided to embrace his new role with open arms.
He looks to potentially play a vital matchup this week, lining up often across from top Jags WR Parker Washington, who, according to FantasyLife.com, has aligned from the slot 54% of the time through the team’s first two games. Versatility might truly be the ultimate blessing and the ultimate curse all at the same time.
Bengals Lean on Dax Hill’s Versatility With Move to Slot Corner