Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman B.J. Hill turned the narrative around pretty quickly.
Hill came over before the season when the Bengals traded away first-round draft bust Billy Price. He was, if nothing else, viewed as solid depth and just a way for the team to get something in return for the loss of Price.
But he turned into a steal quickly.
So much so, the numbers are actually a little staggering. Over at Pro Football Focus, Hill has the 16th-best overall grade of any defensive lineman at 75.1 over nine games.
Hill has been especially good against the run, ranking sixth overall with a run-stop percentage of 13.9. His run defense grade of 77.6 ranks 11th among his position.
A third-round pick in 2018, Hill is still just 26 years old and it appears in his case, the idea he could blossom in different surroundings has been 100 percent true. This is his last year under contract, meaning he’s a low-key important free agent for the team to focus on next offseason, provided he continues playing at this level.
