The 2025 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, and teams are starting to trim their roster. Many former draft picks and undrafted free agents are being released, while some players are being exercised ahead of the final year of their contract. The Cincinnati Bengals' latest move was to exercise the fifth-year option on defensive back Daxton Hill.

Dax Hill is a Michigan product, where he was an All-Big Ten player in 2021. The 24-year-old DB was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has 151 tackles and two interceptions in his young career, according to his ESPN profile.

In Week 5 of last season, shortly after being named a starter at cornerback, Hill tore his ACL against the Baltimore Ravens. He missed the remainder of the season and may miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season as well. Coming back from a torn ACL is never easy, but we have seen many examples of players coming back and remaining as talented, if not turning into a better player.

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The Bengals do not have a stellar secondary. Hill joins DJ Turner II and Cam Taylor-Britt at cornerback. Jordan Battle and Geno Stone are back deep, but none of those names are eye-opening at the moment. Cincinnati hopes to see a major jump from this unit next season.

After not making the playoffs last season, Joe Burrow and his squad understand that they might have to score 30+ points every game to have a chance. Upgrading the defense should be the top priority for the Bengals.

The Bengals did not have a great NFL Draft, according to Mel Kiper. Cincinnati took edge rusher Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M with their first-round pick. He has a chance to be a very good player. The Bengals did not draft a defensive back, so keeping Hill for at least one more season was the right decision.