NFL Draft Analyst Shares Concerns for Texas Longhorns' Anthony Hill Jr.

The 2026 NFL Draft may be almost nine months away, but as it stands now, Texas Longhorns star Anthony Hill Jr. is widely seen as the best off-ball linebacker in the class.

A junior from Denton, Hill has been a monster since his arrival in 2023. Last season, he led the team with 113 total tackles (16.5 for loss) and added eight sacks and four forced fumbles. Fast, strong and rangy, he has just about all the intangibles one could want while also having excellent production.

However, one high-profile scout still has some doubts.

Todd McShay Shares Mixed Thoughts on Anthony Hill Jr.

On his self-titled show, The Ringer's Todd McShay shared some mild criticism for HIll, specifically regarding his engagement and some of his tackles.

“I thought his take-on skills were average at best, but not bad. And I say that because, when he does get engaged, like fully engaged, it’s over. That’s the case with most off the ball linebackers,” McShay said. “When an offensive lineman climbs to the second level, and they get their 320 on your 235? It’s human nature at that point. What he does really well is he takes that snapshot that we talked about. I see that in him. He’s got the instincts, the eyes. He sees where the ball carrier is going. Is he coming right, coming left? Now I’m going in for engagement, but I’m going to make this shit quick. It’s got to be quick, you know what I mean? He does a good job with, like, that quick stun move and then, like, the quick hands. And so he keeps a lot of guys from getting to that final, like, ‘Oh, I’m done’ moment but, when they do, it’s over.

“The second thing is, I think he’s a low-impact tackler…which isn’t the biggest thing in the world. And has five forced fumbles? You’d expect more of that like, (pop), on contact…Falls off a bunch of tackles, right.”

However, McShay had plenty of praise for Hill as well. He specifically praised his intangibles and his instincts, which are two outstanding strengths to have.

Additionally, Hill still has a season to work on his game and could become an even better prospect by the time the draft rolls around.

“Two knocks I’ve got on him right now, and they both can be improved upon and they’re not as important necessarily as the strengths,” McShay said. “Let’s see where we are in April. That’s the beauty of doing this. We got a foundation, and now we’ll grow.”