Only one other offense in the entire league put up as many yards per game as the Dallas Cowboys offense, spearheaded by Dak Prescott and the superstar receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
However, their defense was awful, sinking Dallas to a 7-9-1 record and making the need for a defensive overhaul obvious, especially at the linebacker position. But how should they address it?
ESPN Expert Suggests the Cowboys Draft Anthony Hill Jr.
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller listed Anthony Hill Jr. as a prospect to fill a need outside Round 1.
He wrote, “Dallas is looking for speed and playmaking ability in the middle of the defense, and that’s Hill to a T. The three-year starter had 17 sacks and three interceptions at Texas. Hill is capable enough as a pass rusher that some scouts think he could move there full-time in the future.”
Linebacker certainly is a position of need for the Cowboys, who finished last in the league in PFSN’s Defense Impact Rankings with a grade of 62.1, even behind teams like the New York Jets, who didn’t have a single interception all year, and the Cincinnati Bengals, who trotted out a historically awful defense weekly.
They tried to bolster the position at the deadline, sending a seventh-round pick to the Bengals for veteran linebacker Logan Wilson. His acquisition made minimal impact, as he collected 24 tackles and a forced fumble before retiring this offseason.
The Cowboys decided not to address the position in free agency, leaving linebacker as a huge need going into the draft.
As Miller noted, Hill has intriguing potential as a pass rusher, though many of his sacks came through shooting up the A-gap, not off the edge.
One of his best traits is how Hill quickly diagnoses plays, with a few of his sacks coming on delayed blitzes after reading the play.
While he can consistently beat running backs and tight ends in protection, his ability to win against bigger competition remains in question, leading many to believe his best fit is as an inside linebacker.
His 4.51 40-yard dash solidified his elite athletic profile, and with how he flies sideline to sideline, Hill should be able to make an impact in Week 1 and perhaps even start for a linebacker-needy team.
Whether he’s drafted to Dallas or elsewhere, some franchise will be getting one of the top linebacker prospects in this draft.
