Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.
Today, we go to the middle of the Bengals' defensive line and spotlight B.J. Hill. The Bengals traded for Hill almost exactly three years ago as of this posting in what's considered one of the best trades in franchise history. That's only the case because of how valuable Hill has become in just three short years, and that isn't changing entering year four.
B.J. Hill
- Age: 29
- Year: 7th
- Position: Defensive tackle
- College: NC State
- Previous Teams: New York Giants
- Jersey Number: 92
Hill was drafted by the Giants with the 77th overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent four years at NC State and played in all four seasons. He started five of his last six games as a freshman and maintained his starting status for the remainder of his career. His best statistical season came in 2015 as a sophomore when he posted 11 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, both were career-highs for him. He was also the co-recipient of the Carey Brewbaker Award, given to the team’s most outstanding defensive lineman.
Much like his college days, Hill wasted no time contributing in his first season in the NFL. He started 12 games as a rookie and set the Giants' rookie record with 5.5. sacks. The 642 snaps Hill played that year would be the most he logged in three years with the team as 2019 first-round pick Dexter Lawrence effectively took Hill out of a starter's role. Hill would work behind Lawrence and Leonard Williams, whom the Giants traded for that year as well. The dynamic would continue through the 2021 offseason right up to the start of Hill's contract year.
The Bengals then entered the picture by trading former first-round pick Billy Price to acquire Hill and complete a tenacious three-headed defensive tackle rotation of their own. Hill quickly integrated himself with DJ Reader and Larry Ogunjobi as Cincinnati's defense helped spark a run to the Super Bowl. Hill matched his career-high in sacks with 5.5 (fourth-highest on the team) despite rotating with Ogunjobi at 3-technique. An injury to Ogunjobi during the Wild Card Round elevated Hill into the starting job for the remainder of the postseason, which became not-so-subtle foreshadowing for what was to come. Ogunjobi took a free agent offer with the Chicago Bears (which later fell through due to a failed physical) and the Bengals ended up signing Hill to a three-year contract to become the full-time starter at 3-tech.
Hill went from averaging just about 500 snaps a year the first four years of his career to just under 800 snaps from 2022-23 as a starter in Cincinnati. Increased usage has been a cause for his production to dip, but his quality of play has not diminished when he's fresh and rested. He's now the lone remaining third of the '21 trio at defensive tackle, but there's hope a new triumvirate has been formed.
Contract details
Hill is in the final year of the three-year, $30 million contract he signed in 2022. He will earn a base salary of $7.2 million for the 2024 season. He's already earned $100,000 from a workout bonus. He can also earn up to $200,000 in per game roster bonuses.
Due to $3,333,334 of his signing bonus being prorated on the books for this year, Hill's cap number for the season will be $10,833,334.
Roster outlook
You never know how impactful roster moves can be. Hill wasn't a part of the plans for Cincinnati's eventual Super Bowl run until right before the 2021 season began. Three years later, he's a veteran leader of the defense going on his third consecutive starting season. He's been worth keeping around, but the goal since the end of his first year in stripes has been to recreate a three-defensive tackle rotation to best utilize him.
Enter Sheldon Rankins and Kris Jenkins joining the fray alongside Hill.
Cincinnati will use all three throughout the season, which should keep them healthy and ready for a potential postseason run. Hill's snaps may see a decrease, but his effectiveness should not as a result. He may also see more time as a 2i nose tackle while Rankins and Jenkins get run at 3-tech.
Projected role: Starting defensive tackle
Previous player breakdowns
Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Kris Jenkins Jr. is off to make his own legacy in Cincinnati
Local Cincinnati, OH
Most Popular
Comments / 0