Anthony Hill Jr. walked into a Texas program under Steve Sarkisian that was being rebuilt into an elite program and immediately became one of its best defenders. At 6'2", 240 pounds, he's a linebacker with coverage ability that makes him a three-down player in the modern NFL, which is the rarest and most valuable thing a linebacker can be. Texas' defensive evolution under Sarkisian's staff created the ideal environment for a player like Hill to develop, and the result is a prospect who looks ready to contribute at a high level from the moment he's drafted.
Hill's 2025 numbers — 94 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, and 5 pass breakups — reflect the full picture of his game. He's not a single-skill linebacker who dominates one category; he's a producer across every metric that matters. Texas deployed him as the defensive signal-caller in nickel personnel, which speaks to the trust the coaching staff placed in his processing ability.
STRENGTHS
Hill's coverage is genuinely elite for the position. In man assignments against tight ends — the area that most consistently separates good linebackers from great ones — he consistently maintained phase on seam routes, eliminated crossing routes from the offense's decision tree, and demonstrated the hip fluidity to stay with receivers who tried to shake him in open space. Against Oklahoma's tight end in the Red River Rivalry, Hill covered a seam route for 15 yards and arrived in position to make a play on the ball when the quarterback finally pulled the trigger. That's a defensive back rep from a 240-pound linebacker.
His downhill run-stopping ability matches the coverage. He's a patient reader who triggers downhill with urgency once he identifies the run gap, generating tackle-for-loss production through anticipation rather than just athleticism. His shed technique is advanced — he uses a combination of long arms and footwork to disengage from blockers rather than relying on pure strength.
As a blitzer, Hill is an effective weapon. He times snaps well, fits through gaps cleanly, and brings the kind of closing speed that makes quarterbacks release early.
CONCERNS
The wide projected pick range (12 to 60) reflects the polarizing nature of linebacker evaluation in today's NFL. Teams that play nickel on 75-plus percent of snaps will see Hill as an every-down player and draft him accordingly. Teams that still run two-linebacker base personnel will see his size as marginal for that role. His value is genuinely team-dependent.
At 240 pounds, he's also not going to be a force against elite NFL centers and guards in the run game when asked to anchor rather than flow and fit. His game is built on movement and anticipation rather than power, which means scheme fit is critical.
SCOUT GRADES
Scout 1 graded Hill at 85/100, acknowledging the wide range uncertainty while emphasizing that his coverage profile is the rarest attribute in this linebacker class. Scout 2 concurred on the coverage evaluation and offered a comparable overall assessment. Both evaluators see a player whose value is primarily determined by the defensive system he enters.
PROJECTION
Hill projects as a first-round talent with a realistic landing anywhere from mid-first to early second depending on where teams value the linebacker position. Teams running Cover-3 or split-safety concepts with legitimate man-coverage demands on their linebackers will be most aggressive.
His NFL comp is a young Deion Jones — a linebacker whose coverage makes him nearly impossible to exploit in the modern passing game. Draft him in the first two rounds and deploy him in the right system.
View Anthony Hill Jr.'s full player profile, measurables, and scouting breakdown →
🎬 All-22 Film Analysis Update
*Updated after All-22 film review by Scout1 and Scout2.*
Film Score: 85.0/100 (→ No change from base score of 85.0)
Composite Score: 89
Scout1 Assessment Anthony Hill Jr. is the most complete off-ball linebacker in the 2026 draft class. He's a true MIKE linebacker who can line-call a defense, stuff the run at the point of attack, generate havoc as a blitzer, and hold his own in coverage — a rare three-down profile in a position group that routinely disappoints NFL teams. The case for: elite production against genuine SEC competition, elite motor, textbook tackling mechanics, and the kind of pass rush production (8.0 sacks, 23 pressures in 2024) t...
Scout2 Assessment Good-not-great LB with tools to start, but hype ignores rawness—pass unless you need a developmental athlete. Day 2 value over Round 1 reach.
*Film analysis is based on All-22 footage reviewed independently by two scouts. Scores reflect on-field evidence and may differ from pre-film model projections.*