4 potential replacements for Ravens safety DeShon Elliott this offseason
By Justin Fried
4. The Ravens could draft Daxton Hill to replace DeShon Elliott
If the Ravens want to find their DeShon Elliott replacement, but they don’t want to spend a first-round pick to do so, one potential Day 2 option could be Michigan’s Daxton Hill.
Hill’s greatest selling point is likely his versatility having lined up everywhere from single-high free safety to nickel cornerback to box safety to outside cornerback to even as a dime corner.
But his best role is probably at free safety where he can use his instincts and awareness to read the quarterback’s eyes and make plays in zone coverage.
It’s easy to see Hill finding an immediate home in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s defense as a do-it-all chess piece. The Ravens ask a lot of their safeties and Hill is one of the few prospects in this class that can feasibly do it all.
His lack of size could serve as a detriment, especially when asked to play down near the box. At 6-foot and just 192 pounds, he lacks the stature and physicality to be a consistent force in the run game.
But the Ravens have Chuck Clark for that. Clark can easily still slot down into his sub-linebacker role from time to time while Hill serves as the single-high safety.
On top of it, he already has a family member on the team as his brother is running back Justice Hill. Perhaps a little family reunion could be in order in Baltimore.
Hill makes sense as a realistic Day 2 target for the Ravens.