Bengals Cornerback's Best Position Cemented Following 2025 Campaign

Hill has played well over the past two seasons.

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill (23) exits the player tunnel during introductions before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Bengals cornerback Dax Hill looks to have found a clear home on the outside of Cincinnati's secondary. Marcus Whitman broke down how well he played on the outside once getting moved there in Week 11 of last season.

It coincided with Cincinnati's best defensive stretch of the season and of Hill's career. He's thrived on the outside in stretches of his career, and Cincinnati may want to keep him there moving forward, especially given it's the more valuable position compared to his other role in the slot.

Check out the impact below:

• Allowed just 15 catches on 30 targets (50% Rec rate allowed ranked 11th out of 61 qualified corners)
• Allowed just 22.6 Yards Per Game 
• Six pass breakups and no touchdowns allowed 
• Pro Football Focus's 10th-rated corner
• Just two Missed Tackles (6.3% Ranked 11th/61 CBs)

Bengals Dax Hill (23) celebrates a play during their game against the Steelers on Sunday November 16, 2025 at Acrisure Stadium. | Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hill ended the season with a 64.9 PFF grade, a shade worse than his career-best 68.2 mark in 2025.

He played 366 snaps in the slot and 409 outside across the hybrid season. It's time for him to lean more into the latter. Jalen Davis showed he can be a nice starting option in the slot and just added a new deal with the Bengals to return this fall.

The cornerback hierarchy is in pretty good shape right now, even though the defense allowed the most yards per play of any unit in the NFL. Hill and DJ Turner II provided a lot of the bright spots in that darkness and are extension candidates this offseason.

"Yeah, excited. Really excited about the nucleus we have coming back," Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden said about his core group last week. "It’s not just a fresh start, you know what I mean? You’re not starting from ground zero. There’s pieces there. A healthy Dax at the end of last year, if you look at his last eight, nine games, when he was healthy. Really starting to transition better. His change of direction got better. His agility got better. His man coverage got better. Really excited about that. DJ came on for us. We talked about the linebackers. Myles Murphy really improved. So no, I’m excited. I feel like we can add pieces to it. We can add the leadership they have to match our culture."

Check out the full breakdown from Whitman below:

Bengals moved Dax Hill to Outside CB in Week 11.

From that point on:
- Allowed just 15 Rec on 30 targets (50% Rec % Ranked 9th/61st)
- Allowed just 22.6 Yards Per Game
- 6 PBUs to 0 TDs Allowed
- PFFs 10th Rated CB
- Just 2 Missed Tackles (6.3% Ranked 11th/61 CBs)

— Marcus Whitman (@TFG_Football) March 2, 2026

Sign UP For Our DAILY Newsletter, accessing more free coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals, delivered to YOU directly.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and watch the video below as part of our in-depth coverage of the team. Prefer to listen? Check out Cincinnati Bengals Talk on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Podcasts.

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, insight, film breakdowns, and so much more!

Also, check out the podcast, Locked On Bengals, wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple: bit.ly/BengalsApple

Spotify: bit.ly/BengalsSpotify

YouTube: bit.ly/LOBengalsYouTube

-----

Follow us on X: @BengalsTalkSI

Like Our Facebook Page

Follow on TikTok