Michigan Football: Daxton Hill could be ideal Ambry Thomas replacement

Michigan football could be using Daxton Hill at cornerback again this season and here’s why that makes sense.

With the departure of cornerback Ambry Thomas for the NFL, a hot topic surrounding Michigan football has been the Wolverines corner depth chart.

Vincent Gray, who was the No. 3 corner last year and held up well, will be one of the starting corners this year and according to what Don Brown said this summer, he could be good enough to leave for the NFL after the 2020 season.

But after that, the depth chart and the race for playing time is pretty wide open.

Jalen Perry, DJ Turner, Gemon Green, Andre Seldon and Darion Green-Warren are all in the mix for playing time and each could be a factor.

But according to Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider ($) another name to watch in the battle for playing time at corner is Daxton Hill, who is expected to start at safety.

"“I’ve heard that the sophomore safety has been spending some time in corner meetings of late. I’ve long thought that Hill could be an elite corner if he focused his time there. He’s 6-0, he is one of the fastest players on the team (if not the fastest), and his hip fluidity is like that of a corner.”"

What about Hill at corner?

As Webb points out, Hill is among the fastest players on the team and his 4.3 speed is one reason why Michigan football fans have been so excited about his potential.

A year ago, the coaching staff eased him into the lineup. He was a nickel back and later in the year, became a full-time starter at safety.

Hill would be a great deep middle safety for the Wolverines and his presence back there could certainly help limit some of the big plays that have killed them over the years.

Not only is Hill fast, he’s an exceptional tackler and he has good ball skills too. At 6-foot, he also had good size and that size/speed combination is what makes him enticing at corner.

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And as Webb also writes, young players such as Makari Paige and Jordan Morant have stood out so far and if one of them is ready to play alongside Brad Hawkins, Hill could see some time at corner.

The key for Michigan is get to the best defensive backs on the field at the same time. If that means playing Hill at corner and allowing someone like Paige to rotate in and get snaps as the No. 3 safety, then so be it.

The thing about Hill, is if you use him as the nickel corner, it’s almost like a big nickel defense, with a safety in the slot, except Hill isn’t a normal safety.

So, theoretically, your pass defense and run defense could be better with Hill playing in the nickel. However, how much nickel do you want him to play, because my guess is that U-M will play more snaps in sub packages this season than base defensive sets.

The other factor is how the younger corners develop. Even though he’s a freshman, Seldon seems born to play in the slot and has natural quickness, as well as a nose for the ball.

Perry, Turner, Green and Green-Warren have all had their moments this offseason too. That means Paige or Morant would need to be more valuable on the field at safety than one of those guys at corner.

In some instances, it might work out that way. And in another way, Hill could be the best replacement possible for Thomas at corner, simply due to his speed.

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If playing Hill at corner better allows that speed to be utilized, I’m all for it. His position should also depend on others. Hill can be an impact player at safety or corner and the Wolverines should simply slot him in where he’s most needed.

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