Giants Player Profile: B.J. Hill

2019 in Review

The Giants spent a third-round pick in 2018 on B.J. Hill, a talented defensive tackle. Hill was part of arguably the best defensive line at North Carolina State and played alongside Bradley Chubb, who was drafted in the top 10 of the draft, Kentavius Street, and Justin Jones.

Hill possesses good burst for a big man, positional versatility (he can play anywhere along the defensive line depending on the situation), and he processes the game at a high clip.

Hill was very productive in college; through four years, seeing significant snaps in all four, He amassed 23.5 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, and 185 total tackles.

Adding Hill to the Giants' defensive line created a solid rotation between the three very talented defensive tackles, and Hill thrived in his first season in the NFL. The 6’3", 311-pound, Hill had 5.5 sacks and six tackles for a loss as an interior defensive lineman.

He played 641 snaps along the defensive line. He played mostly as the 3-technique on the right or left side, but was also the nose, played 5-technique, 4i, and was even the end man on the line of scrimmage to the field a few different times.

Things were going well for Hill, but his production dipped at the beginning of 2019. Damon Harrison had been traded to the Lions before the 2018 trade deadline, and the Giants selected Dexter Lawrence with the 17th pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

Hill was playing significant snaps at the beginning of the year, but then the Giants traded for Leonard Williams. Hill’s snaps took a hit in Week 9 once Williams arrived, but he still flashed now and again on film.

After the bye in Week 11, Hill's snaps declined, never peaking above 20. Hill finished the year with one sack, two tackles for a loss, and 16 pressures, as opposed to the 27 pressures he had during his rookie campaign.

It’s not a great sign for Hill, but defensive coordinator James Bettcher was let go when Pat Shurmur was fired, which ushers in the Patrick Graham era of defense where he'll get a fresh start.

There are several New York Giants that need to “prove it” in the 2020 season, or else they may be wearing another uniform after their first contract. Hill is undoubtedly among them.

Looking Ahead

The word most associated with Patrick Graham's defense is "multiple." He’s not a 3-4 guy, nor is he a 4-3 one; instead, he's more about flexibility with his personnel.

I feel B.J. Hill may fit into Patrick Graham’s ideology on early downs because Hill isn’t a slouch against the run. He’s strong at the point of attack, plays with excellent leverage, and is a smart player who executes sound gap discipline.

These all assist Hill with the new coaching staff, but the position is deep. In my opinion, Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, and Dalvin Tomlinson both have significant advantages over Hill, and the team added Austin Johnson from the Titans in the off-season.

Williams is the most versatile and most unique of the five, but it’s going to be difficult to not have Lawrence and Tomlinson on the field in early down situations. Hill will make the team--that’s not a question, but it’s an uphill climb to see snap counts in the forties or higher as he saw before the Williams trade.

The talented player must maximize the 20 or so snaps he receives. He has to do the most with the reps that he receives. There is upside there, but the crowded nature of the defensive line room doesn't exactly favor him, especially if he doesn't take advantage of the reps he’s given in practice and on Sundays.