The Seattle Seahawks have lost a bevy of talented players during free agency this year, including three former starters at cornerback.
While general manager John Schneider has worked diligently to find replacements for tight end Jimmy Graham, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, and wide receiver Paul Richardson, the Seahawks haven’t done much to address the vacancies at corner. Seattle did meet with free agents Dontae Johnson and Kenneth Acker, but both left town without a contract.
With the formation of the “Legion of Boom” during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the Seahawks made drafting taller, longer defensive backs trendy in the NFL. Along with snagging 6-foot-4 safety Kam Chancellor in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Schneider also reeled in 6-foot-3 cornerback Richard Sherman in 2011 and signed Brandon Browner from the CFL, creating the largest secondary in league history.
Now searching for a long-term replacement for Sherman and desperately needing depth at cornerback, will the Seahawks pursue another large cornerback in Texas standout Holton Hill?
Strengths
A former high school All-American residing from Houston, Hill possesses a unique blend of size and athleticism rarely found at the corner position. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 205 pounds, the ex-Longhorn starter ran a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and performed well in other drills, including running the three-cone drill in 6.83 seconds.
Aside from his athletic gifts, Hill is a willing tackler against the run (51 tackles in 2017) and has no issues laying big hits on receivers at the point of the catch. He uses his long arms effectively in press coverage, suffocating smaller receivers at the line of scrimmage.
When able to track and make a play on the football, he’s proven to be dynamic, returning all three of his interceptions at Texas for scores. With his big play capabilities, opponents stopped testing Hill during the second half last season.
Weaknesses
Hill likely would have been an All-Big 12 selection in 2017, but Texas suspended him for violating team rules after nine games and he didn’t suit up again. Maturity issues have long been a question mark for the talented corner, as he wound up in former coach Charlie Strong’s doghouse during his sophomore season and only played in five games. Given his spotty history, many were surprised to see him leave school early and felt he would’ve benefited from another season in Austin.
On the field, Hill has a tendency to struggle finding the football and will need to improve this aspect of his game to be an effective NFL corner. He also needs technical refinement, as he loves to grab opposing receivers when he gets beat off the snap and must become more disciplined. Teams looking at drafting Hill will have to coach him up to rid him of bad habits developed in high school and at Texas.
Where he’d fit in Seattle
Far from a perfect prospect due to his immaturity and lack of overall snaps in college, Hill has some red flags that may deter teams from drafting him.
However, Hill has first round-caliber talent and remains far from a finished product. Depending on how teams view his past off-field issues, he could wind up being selected anywhere from the second round or later. Teams like Seattle that covet bigger corners may be able to overlook his suspension during the middle rounds and take a chance on a player with a very high ceiling.
If the Seahawks can trade back into the third round and have a shot at picking Hill, he’d be an intriguing sidekick for rising star Shaquill Griffin moving forward. Seattle prides itself on developing corners out of college into its system, and he has the frame and skill set to be molded into a potential star under Pete Carroll’s tutelage.
