Daxton Hill rises up Mel Kiper Jr.'s updated 2022 NFL Draft Big Board
Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill is considered one of the top safeties in the 2022 NFL Draft class. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper sees him as one of the best overall prospects in the draft, period.
Kiper released his latest Big Board over the weekend, which placed Hill as his No. 13 overall prospect in the class. The update to his board was the first since the NFL Combine and pro days wrapped up.
“Hill is an intriguing prospect who has risen since the combine because of his speed and versatility,” Kiper wrote. “He ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash in Indy, one of the fastest times for a safety in recent years. He played mostly as a nickelback for the Wolverines last season and could end up as a slot corner for his NFL team. The former five-star high school recruit is a playmaker (two picks last season) who tackles well and is a good blitzer. Hill has the positional flex of being a deep safety or matchup corner.”
Hill was an All-Big Ten first-team honoree in 2021 and played in 33 career games at Michigan with 23 starts. Most outlets have him either in the first round or coming off the board early in the second.
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Kiper has not budged on Michigan EDGE rusher Aidan Hutchinson, leaving him at No. 1 overall in his Big Board update.
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“Hutchinson had a consistently dominant season on the way to finishing as the runner-up in the voting for the Heisman Trophy,” Kiper said. “He had 14 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles [and] finished fifth in the country in pressure rate (16.5%). He is advanced as a pass-rusher — he already has a few go-to moves — and is relentless on every snap. Hutchinson dominated Ohio State at the end of the regular season, picking up three sacks. He played only 144 defensive snaps in 2020 before he sustained a leg injury and had to have surgery; the Michigan defense cratered after he was hurt. He was outstanding as a sophomore in 2019, putting up 4.5 sacks and creating havoc in the backfield (10.5 tackles for loss).”
Hutchinson’s EDGE mate, David Ojabo, has a much more complicated future. He tore his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day and could tumble a bit. However, Kiper has him as his No. 25 prospect in the class.
“Ojabo has dropped down the board because of a crushing Achilles injury suffered at his pro day in mid-March,” he said. “He might fall all the way into Round 2 now. Still, he was one of the most impressive newcomers in the country in 2021. A third-year sophomore who spent his youth in Nigeria and Scotland, he had 11 sacks and five forced fumbles playing on the other side of Aidan Hutchinson. He has flashed advanced pass-rush moves — check out this spin on the right tackle for a strip sack against Indiana — and his physical traits pop on tape. While Ojabo needs to work on his all-around game, there’s a lot to like. Good teams that don’t have immediate needs should target him late on Day 1.”
When is the 2022 NFL Draft?
The 2022 NFL Draft will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 28-30. The first round will take place on Thursday night with the second and third rounds coming on Friday. Saturday closes out the event with rounds four through seven. The entire event will be broadcast via ESPN and NFL Network with coverage starting April 28 at 8 p.m. ET.
