Why Michigan Football’s Daxton Hill is a perfect fit for the Lions

Why Michigan football’s Daxton Hill would be a perfect player for the Detroit Lions to select in the 2022 NFL draft. 

As the Detroit Lions embark on year two of their rebuild with the Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime, it will be looking to improve on defense.

First year defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn did the best he could to keep the Lions competitive despite a defense undermanned in both talent and by injuries. Former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah missed the entire season with a torn Achilles while the team’s highest paid defenders, Trey Flowers and Romeo Okwara, played just 11 games combined.

Glenn earned respect around the league and interviewed for the head coaching vacanies with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints. However, the Lions still ranked 31st in points allowed per game, 29th in yards per play allowed, and 28th in rushing yards allowed per game. The Lions may not have to look too far on improve on defense.

The Lions could select Aidan Hutchinson if he is available with the No. 2 overall pick. Hutchinson would improve the pass rush, but safety may be the biggest overall need on the roster. Safety is not one of the premium positions, so drafting one in the top five would be considered a reach.

However, the Lions also own the No. 32 (from the Los Angeles Rams) and No. 34 overall picks. That could put the Lions in position to select Daxton Hill and he would be an excellent fit.

Entering 2022, the Lions have just three safeties under contract for next season, Will Harris, Brady Breeze, and JuJu Hughes. Breeze has been a backup while Hughes was recently claimed off waivers from the Rams. Harris has just one year remaining on his contract, but he struggled so much that he was moved to corner. Tracy Walker, the team’s top safety, is an unrestricted free along with Dean Marlowe. Even if Walker is retained, the Lions badly need another safety.

The Lions run a base 3-4 split safety scheme that allows its safeties the freedom to read and react to the quarterback. With that, the safeties have a lot of responsiblities and having one starting caliber (if Walker returns) is not ideal. Daxton Hill would have thrive in this scheme.

Daxton Hill would thrive in Detroit

With Michigan football, he showed the versatility to play deep as a free safety and as a nickel. He has good ball skills (two interceptions and eight pass breakups) and can handle man coverage. Hill is also a good blitzer (ask Graham Mertz) and solid run defender.

Walker is better as a free safety but he and Hill would complement each other well. Some of the game’s best safeties like Tyrann Mathieu and Budda Baker spend a good majority of their snaps at nickel.

The modern age safety has the responsiblities of a corner and a linebacker. The Lions do not have a guy like that and Hill could fill that role. Additionally unlike Mathieu and Baker, Hill has ideal measurables from a size and speed perspective.

Speaking of, Hill will likely run in the 4.3s at the NFL Combine. Even if he runs 4.4, that is elite for a safety. The Lions have one of the slowest rosters in the league, thanks to Bob Quinn’s and Matt Patricia lack of emphasis on it. Hill would not only fill a huge need for the Lions, he would also help the team get faster.

Hill is currently projected as a late first/early second round pick, however his stock may rise if he blows up the combine as expected. If the Lions want the former Michigan football standout, they will need to grab him by at least pick No. 34, if they don’t trade up.