Analyzing the Bengals’ selection of Trey Hill

The Cincinnati Bengals picked up their third offensive lineman of the NFL Draft with Georgia Bulldogs center Trey Hill.

The first of two sixth-round picks, the Bengals deepened their offensive line with a guy capable of playing guard and center/

Yet another SEC player, Hill is the sixth pick in Cincy’s 2021 haul to have played with or against Joe Burrow at some point in his career.

Hill started four games as a true freshman, and then in another 14 as a sophomore. He started the first eight games of the season in 2020, but had season-ending surgery in both knees before the end of the year.

Overall, the Bengals are getting a physical, aggressive, and athletic lineman who has plenty of potential to take on a bigger role in the future.

What Hill brings to the Bengals

Hill is a large human being, and a physical one to boot. At 6-3 and 319 pounds, Hill loves to throw his weight around and attack defenders, especially MIKE linebackers.

Since Hill has experience at center, he is intelligent and instinctual. He is great at making adjustments in pass protection and finding linebackers on the second level in run blocking. He also is a great athlete for a big guy, so he would be a good fit for the Bengals’ run game.

One reason he fell so far is that he has not developed the technique that would allow him to maximize his size. He has survived off his size and athletic ability, but if he wants to take a step at the next level, he needs to work on his hands and his leverage.

Why the Bengals picked Hill

Frank Pollack loves physical linemen, and likes to use their aggression to their advantage. Hill is just that, and Pollack loves to work with that kind of talent. Size, athleticism, aggression, and intelligence are things you can’t coach, which is what stands out about hill. If Pollack can coach him up and teach him better technique, then Hill has a chance to be a good Bengals player.

The Bengals also lack depth at center. Billy Price is the only player on the active roster who has ever snapped the ball in the NFL, with Trey Hopkins still recovering from his ACL injury. Instead of trying to move Quinton Spain, Xavier Su’a-Filo, or Jackson Carman to center, the Bengals now get an extra depth piece there. Hill will compete with Michael Jordan for that backup center spot behind Price, who will likely be elsewhere this time next year.

Hill is 21 years old after spending just three years in college, so he adds youth to the Bengals line who could develop into a quality starter in the coming years.