Ex-Cowboys 2nd-Round Pick Signs with Browns in Free Agency

Getty Former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill waits for a play with his teammates.

After struggling with the Dallas Cowboys to begin his NFL career, one of the team’s former talents is getting a fresh start with the Cleveland Browns.

While Dallas is making moves to improve both sides of the ball, the ripple effect of free agency is seeing plenty of former Cowboys head to new destinations. The latest to find a new home is defensive tackle Trysten Hill.

Hill was a second-round pick by Dallas in the 2019 NFL draft. Things didn’t exactly pan out, leading to his release midway through last season. After a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals to finish last season, Hill is now heading to the Browns.

Cleveland announced the move on March 20. The Browns have been proactive in adding to the defensive line, and Hill is another part of that effort.

“The Browns completed their fourth free agent addition to the defensive line Monday with the signing of DT Trysten Hill, a four-year veteran,” the team’s official website reads.

The 25-year-old has yet to find his footing in the NFL after four seasons, but he was a highly-rated prospect for a reason. The Browns are now giving him a chance to live up to that potential.

Hill Struggles in Dallas

Before reaching the NFL draft, Hill put together a steady and impressive college career at UCF. His numbers weren’t astronomical by any means, but he produced and had all the physical metrics required to play at the top level.

The Cowboys came calling, but most Dallas fans would tell you that drafting Hill was a miscue. Over three and a half seasons in Arlington, Texas, Hill played just 25 games and never appeared for more than seven games in a single season.

Pro Football Reference shows that the former Golden Knight notched a singular half-sack and four tackles for loss over his 25 games. While that’s fairly poor production, it’s worth noting that Hill did battle through injury at points.

The 25-year-old suffered multiple severe injuries while in Dallas, including a torn ACL in his second season. But even with that context, Hill’s production simply wasn’t where the Cowboys needed it to be.

Former Cowboys DT Has Reason for Optimism

If there’s anything that Hill can hang his hat on, it’s the brief tenure with the Cardinals. Dallas was unable to find a trade partner for their former second-round pick, leading to his release and Arizona claiming him off waivers.

Hill didn’t light Phoenix on fire with his play, but he did show a marked improvement during his six games with the Cardinals. PFR shows that he played just 23% of the snaps in those games, 90 plays in total.

During his limited opportunities, Hill earned his first full sack in the NFL and also notched three tackles for loss. For a defensive tackle, those are solid numbers and ones that most NFL teams would take as a backup.

Hill may never live up to the expectation that comes with being a second-round pick, but he’s at least proving that he can contribute at the NFL level.