NFL Defensive Coordinator’s Dream Come True: Anthony Hill Jr.

BIG AND IMPOSING

This perfectly describes Texas Longhorns’ linebacker, Anthony Hill Jr.

However, it’s more than his natural size and his long arms.

Hill is not a run-of-the-mill linebacker.

He’s more than a good pass coverage linebacker, and he’s more than a good run defender. He’s also more than a good pass rusher.

It’s his presence.

Hill is like an attack dog, roaming around like there’s a “NO TRESPASSING” sign that hangs beyond the line of scrimmage, and he’s got an appetite. He’s got a violent temperament, and he hammers ball carriers and quarterbacks.

Hill strikes fear into opponents.

Worse yet for offenses, they don’t know what he’s going to do once the ball is snapped.

Will he drop into coverage, or will he blitz?

Who knows.

Hill can do either, and that’s part of what makes him special.

Tell me more

Per ESPN 2024:

• 113 tackles
• 59 solo
• 54 assists
• 1 pass defended
• 4 forced fumbles
• 1 interception
• 8 sacks

Pro Football Focus adds he had 18 pressures.

Special traits

• Want
• Speed
• Acceleration

Want is one of the most underrated traits in scouting. This is about more than running around little orange cones in gym shorts on a pro day. It’s about finding who wants it and who consistently shows that they want it on film.

Hill wants it.

He’s all over the place hunting and chasing, and all those stats did was confirm what I saw on tape.

Hill is one of the better pass coverage linebackers I’ve evaluated. He has the range to get sideline to sideline, and he’s heady in coverage. He knows where to be in various pass coverage concepts. This linebacker executes the plays exactly as they are drawn up.

The short-area acceleration shows up when he’s blitzing.

He can close the deal.

Versatility

You can’t call Hill a middle linebacker or an outside linebacker.

He lines up all over the place and pursues all over the field.

Sometimes he was lined up off the ball before the snap, and sometimes on third-downs they rolled him down and played him off the edge.

There were a few plays he was lined up over the slot receiver, and he held his own in coverage.

Biggest weakness

TAKING ON BLOCKS.

Nobody is perfect.

Everyone has a weakness, and this is his.

At best, Hill was inconsistent shedding run blocks (and that’s being kind), and he didn’t show any pass rush moves when blitzing. If he gets stalemated by an offensive lineman when he’s blitzing, he’s done.

NFL value

Right now, based on what Hill has put on tape in 2024, he’s one of the best defensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Hill is the heart of Texas’ defense, and if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’ll be the heart of the defense on an NFL team, too.

#0 Anthony Hill Jr. 6-foot-3, 238 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Summer Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of July 29, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Colorado State, Michigan, UTSA, UL-Monroe, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Georgia, Clemson, ASU, and Ohio State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Skillset tilts toward defending against the passing game. Alpha demeanor. Menace. Calculated. Disciplined. Understands the art of leverage. Plays smart. Understands his strengths and weaknesses. Great spy. Demonstrates understanding of man and zone concepts. Dependable. Active. Hustles. Can defend screens. Knack for creating pressure. Shoots gaps and runs “X” stunts. Overwhelms quarterbacks. Likes to sit in the middle of the field and fly into the quarterback’s face. Read and react run defender who waits for it to come to him due to lacking natural run instincts. Fooled by misdirection. He does everything he can to end up in or around the action. Slight hip tightness can cause him to miss targets. Strong wrapping tackler. Dependable about 80% of the time. Soft goal-line defense.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Getting off run blocks?

2. Showing any pass rush moves?

3. Missing any tackles?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.