NFL draft 2022: Kiper picks first-round sleeper prospects, including Michigan's Daxton Hill
October 18th, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
Valuable post! Nice link!
October 18th, 2021 at 11:06 AM ^
Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
A former five-star prospect in the Class of 2019, Hill has started ever since he got to the Michigan campus. He's exactly what NFL coordinators want in a defensive back; he can be a deep safety, cover wide receivers from the slot, or play close to the line of scrimmage and make plays in the run game. He has the ball skills of a corner -- check out this interception against Nebraska -- and has added five tackles for loss this season.
At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Hill has long arms and the speed to run with wideouts. His versatility is a huge plus. He's playing great this season and could rise into the Round 1 discussion if he keeps it up.
Also has CMU OT Bernhard Raimann and MN DE/OLB Boye Mafe from our neck of the woods.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
UM can have two first round picks on defense: Hutch & Hill.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
To me he's always looked taller than 6 feet. Probably because he has exceptional length and is a bit wiry (although still plenty muscular).
This said he has 5 TFL this season but mgoblue.com and College Reference each have him credited with just 2.5. Either way he's definitely made a ton of plays this year and is an amazing player.
We should enjoy him for these last 6/7/8 games because he's bound for the NFL for sure.
October 18th, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
I'd love for Detroit to pick him with their later first round pick. He seems like an ideal pick for what they need with his S/CB abilities, explosion and speed.
October 18th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
Why in the heck would you wish that on Dax?
October 18th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
B/c when the Lions eventually win the Super Bowl, those players will be the greatest heroes Michigan has ever seen. It will happen eventually. For 20 years I've worn my Detroit Lions Santa hat on the first game of the season and tell my son that THIS is the year we win the Super Bowl. It will happen before I die, hopefully a few decades from now. It will happen.
And if it doesn't, it will still have taught me that critical life lesson every Detroit Lions fan eventually learns: Joy doesn't come from obtaining your goals, you must find joy in the process. Life isn't fair and there will be limitless things that disappoint, but you will find joy in the process. And eventually, when great things happen, your celebration will be deeper and more meaningful.
With that said, this is easier for me to say b/c I'm a huge UM and Pistons fan, so I still get my doses of success.
October 18th, 2021 at 10:57 AM ^
See there's your problem: you've only been watching for 20ish seasons. Entire generations of football fans have been born and died assuming the Lions would eventually win a Super Bowl. There is nothing guaranteeing it, and odds are such that barring different ownership they will never win one.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:47 PM ^
I've been watching and a fan since the 70s. I'm not going to say I'm as optimistic as Santa Hat, but some day they will go to the Super Bowl (I could give 2 shits if they win).
Trading away Stafford this offseason made it a zero chance in my book for this year, but There Is Always Next Year!
I think the Fords are great owners. They pick losers to run the franchise, but they've never once threatened to move the team, they have contributed to building the stadiums and at least seem to try to win. Ask St. Louis or San Diego or a dozen other cities how it feels to have the owners they've had.
October 18th, 2021 at 1:07 PM ^
No no no. I've been telling my son this for 20 seasons. I'm 50. I know the struggle. If you don't learn the lesson I learned, then you won't stay a fan. Or if you do, it'll kill you.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:01 AM ^
Don’t know if you’re a podcast fan, but your “take joy in the process not the destination” line reminded me of a great episode of the Hidden Brain podcast (link here).
It discusses an article about Andre Agassi who said that — for just this reason — when he reached the tippity top of his fame he still felt totally empty inside.
October 18th, 2021 at 1:11 PM ^
I used to listen to Hidden Brain. This sounds very interesting thanks for sharing.
October 18th, 2021 at 2:14 PM ^
Believe it's come up on threads about favorite sports books over the years here, but Agassi's autobiography is a really good read. Easy to see why the process was not enjoyable for him.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:21 AM ^
"For 20 years I've worn my Detroit Lions Santa hat on the first game of the season and tell my son that THIS is the year we win the Super Bowl."
Please stop. One never knows, but it could be this tradition that keeps sabotaging the Lions' hopes and dreams (well, the hopes and dreams of Lions' fans). Maybe try something different next year? It might result in a win!
October 18th, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
MAYBE it's the Super Bowl itself that's the problem.
Though I don't know pro football history well, weren't the Lions really good in the 1950s? And wasn't the Super Bowl invented in the 1960s?
Sounds suspicious to me.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:19 PM ^
Yep... Last Lions championship was 1957, and the first Super Bowl was 1967.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:26 AM ^
Become a Red Wings fan- success is on its way back there as well!
October 18th, 2021 at 11:26 AM ^
Linus sits in the pumpkin patch each year waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. My guess is Linus will see the Great Pumpkin before the Lions win a Super Bowl.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:31 PM ^
LOL. The Lions will never win the Super Bowl.
October 18th, 2021 at 7:27 PM ^
No wonder you are the Buddhafrog! That is an enlightened perspective! As fans we should take that heart and try to enjoy the journey more.
October 18th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
No true Michigan fan should want any Wolverine to end up on the Lions.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
October 18th, 2021 at 10:29 AM ^
Well, shit
October 18th, 2021 at 10:29 AM ^
Is it too much to fantasize that Dax will do like Hutchinson and come back to exert sheer domination in his senior season?
October 18th, 2021 at 10:39 AM ^
Yes. But I'm going to do it anyway.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
After all, we're Michigan fans.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:04 AM ^
With Kyle Hamilton being the consensus top safety in the draft, I don't think it's out of the question
October 18th, 2021 at 10:29 AM ^
Some 7 round mock drafts have Hutch, Ojabo, Smith, Hinton, Gray, Hill and Hawkins all being drafted next year. Michigan's D-Line is making everyone look good right now lets hope that continues.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:07 AM ^
Mazi Smith and Vincent gray?? Lmao. If we have another player like Smith leave after literally starting for 1 year...
October 18th, 2021 at 11:47 AM ^
If we beat OSU, that list is going to expand.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
What does beating ohio st have to be with a player's draft stock? If Moody bangs the game winner at the horn, does that make those guys more draftable? He better not miss it then.
October 18th, 2021 at 6:59 PM ^
It makes it less likely that they would do the whole “come back one more year to deal with unsettled business” thing.
October 18th, 2021 at 10:32 AM ^
To all the pundit's who tellin' Dax to go pro...
October 18th, 2021 at 10:36 AM ^
That's weird, our star CB's name is Haxton Dill and he's not going anywhere
October 18th, 2021 at 11:44 AM ^
I'm not even sure I would call Haxton Dill a star. And even if he is a star in college, he's practically Jourdan Lewis's size, not big enough to every succeed in the NFL.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:02 PM ^
Hello, my name is Mr. Wingding! And I come from, uh. . . someplace far away! (yes, that'll do)
Anyway I -- I say Hill should stay at Michigan for another couple of years to grow to NFL size!
October 18th, 2021 at 10:41 AM ^
Yikes! Well thanks a lot!
October 18th, 2021 at 11:01 AM ^
Dax has always been great at covering a lot of ground and playing in the box, but he's really started to show out in coverage the last handful of games. It depends on how he plays the rest of the season and maybe this is wishful thinking, but I could see him coming back for senior year ala Hutchinson and Olave to try to increase his already high draft stock especially with Kyle Hamilton being the consensus top safety
October 18th, 2021 at 11:06 AM ^
I have a feeling one of Dax or Hutchinson will end up as Baltimore's first round pick (if they are available.. as I am saying this I'm realizing Hutch will not be available for the Ravens).
Under MacDonald's defense, UM is basically Baltimore's farm team and they get a real look at what guys can make plays in their defensive scheme. I'm assuming we'll continue to see Michigan serve as a Baltimore pipeline for the foreseeable future.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
Simple formula would be to just split UofM's draft between Ravens and Patriots each year.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:04 PM ^
I was thinking Baltimore might draft hill in the 1st round. Harbaugh will definitely be talking to Mcdonald about him.
October 18th, 2021 at 12:16 PM ^
Wait a minute. Are you saying ol' Macdonald has a farm?
October 18th, 2021 at 12:53 PM ^
The Patriots might have more Michigan players, than Baltimore.
Uche, Winovich, Onwenu, Nordin.
October 18th, 2021 at 3:51 PM ^
Cam McGrone, too. Bonus: Devin Asiasi via UCLA.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:09 AM ^
Never easy losing a very good player, but the Safety position seems relatively stable now? Or maybe I just think so because the CB position is still a mess.
Moten has been starting all year as the 3rd guy. He has freshman eligibility.
Moore has been 1st off the bench as a true freshman.
They still have Paige with experience back there. Also freshman eligibility.
Of course, that's assuming no transfers and assuming Macdonald's scheme has 3 Safety looks often enough to get those guys on the field enough to keep them from looking elsewhere.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:27 AM ^
It's amaizing what a safeties coach can accomplish when he's actually on the field and in the meeting room with the guys who are playing. I'm convinced that the primary reason that Dax is so much better this year than last is because of George Helow. He's actually here, doing his job...
Note to Bob Shoop: Fuck the fuck right off and don't come back.
October 18th, 2021 at 11:38 AM ^
I'm convinced that the primary reason that Dax is so much better this year than last is because of George Helow.
You mean Bellamy? I'm pretty sure Helow coaches the LBs...
October 18th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
Well, damn... Thanks for the correction!!
October 18th, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^
You're obviously right about Shoop, but Ron Bellamy is the safeties coach. I assume Clinkscale has a hand in coaching them too. Helow got moved to linebackers when Jean Mary left.