Simms' LB draft rankings: No. 3 Anthony Hill Jr.
Chris Simms analyzes the game of Anthony Hill Jr., discussing how the Texas product is an elite tackler who has the potential to grow into a strong linebacker at NFL level.
Video Transcript
With Anthony Hill.
Like, I, I, I wrote at, at one point o- on here, I just went, "The guy was put on Earth to tackle the guy with the ball."
That, that's what he does, you know?
He does whatever he has to do to make the tackle, even if he has to put his body in a bad spot.
And I'm big on that.
I'm big on that.
You know, I, I He doesn't have the strength Arvel Reese has- Right or anything like that.
But I am big in, especially a linebacker and running back, as we started off the show in talking about, is you gotta put your b- you gotta sell out.
You gotta put your body in some uncompromising positions.
And for linebackers at times, and we're gonna have some guys on here that maybe people thought would be on here, and I'm gonna go, "They're not," and this is part of the reason.
Like, hey, I'm big on, "Hey, here's your job.
You took on the g- the gap.
You got your gap."
The running back's right here, though.
Like, make a play.
Right.
Anthony Hill would be like, "Huh," and jump out.
And be like, "I know I'm gonna get run over, and he's gonna run me over, but I'm gonna make the tackle."
And I love stuff like that.
As to other guys I might talk about where I go, "Yeah, they did their job.
They got their gap," but, like, they were just like, they were fine with that.
And it's like, the ball was three inches from you, and you didn't even try to make the tackle.
So those are the things I really liked about him.
I wish his body was a little more rocked up.
That would One thing I would say when I saw him on film.
But regardless, his acceleration to get downhill and see the ball and get after the ball is, is to me pretty damn elite when I watch it, right?
He's, he's physical.
He's tough.
He's got read and reacts, right?
He takes on blockers well.
He delivers blows on them as well.
He doesn't just go, "Ooh, wait, I'm getting blocked."
He's like, "Oh, you're coming at me?
You wanna pull and guard?
Boom, I'm gonna stop you right here in the hole and see if I can go make the tackle."
Those are the things I like.
You know, he does a good job of shedding blockers.
And then also when that When he is getting blocked, he's got very good eyes into the backfield or wherever the ball is to still know, "Okay, I'm getting blocked.
I'm fighting through the scrum.
I see where the ball is still," and then he can still get there and make the play.
So that's what I really like about him.
Again, I'm big into that too.
You gotta be able to fight through the trash, right?
In the middle linebacker.
Right.
People around you.
You're gonna be in uncompromising positions, weird positions.
That's where we get in talking about fluidity and pliability, and that's what you see.
And you gotta have that with this.
'Cause you're gonna have plays where you're, like, kinda crouched down in a weird position taking on a blocker, and it's like, okay, yeah, you're in a weird spot, but you gotta get off it, and now go get up and react and tackle the guy in space.
Right.
And I thought Anthony Hill was pretty damn good in all of that.
He is a three-down linebacker.
He's young.
I think he's only gonna get better and stronger as we go here.
I was actually more impressed with him than I thought I was gonna be from watching on TV.
You mentioned it.
He just turned 21 in February, so you're hoping that that 238 at the combine turns into a more muscled up- Exactly 245 at the NFL?
That, that looks okay.
Exactly.
That was the one thing that even in meeting him in person, 'cause he, again, another awesome kid, but I just went, "You don't have the muscles Arvel Reese has," right?
Right.
You need to have a little of that.
That's a tough spot.
Exactly, yeah.
You go from, like, Arvel, and then, like, Sonny's just insane in terms of his range.
And middle linebackers, you know, is they're usually jacked specimens.
Yeah.
You know?
Lunatic position.
Yes, yeah.
It's- For sure it's usually that guy.
I hope when I- What do you think about him?
What do you think?
'Cause I don't think you're high on him.
I was mixed on him.
I know you're not.
The thing that And this is one of those, like, could get better as he gets older.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
I thought for his size- Yeah he's shorter than I thought.
I thought he was 6'4" on tape.
Yeah.
He's 6'2", which is not short, but for linebacker, I thought he could utilize that size more against blockers.
Yeah.
Like, there was times where I'm like, "You're like one of the baddest dudes on the field."
Yeah.
"Just crush that guy in front of you to make the play."
Yeah.
Yeah.
Rather than, like, thinking.
And it got better from the previous year to this year.
The things I liked were tremendous at the peanut punch.
Yep.
Seven forced fumbles the last two years.
Yeah.
He kn- he knows how to take away the football.
Totally.
Totally.
It's a, it's an art to it.
I thought he had grip strength as a tackler.
Yeah.
Like, some of these guys- Yeah, he can be like this, and, like, the guy's just going- Like, hold them through the hole.
Yes.
And he gets them, and you go, "Whoa, he got him down."
That I liked- Right?
Yeah a lot is that he would latch on, and the, the ball carrier would stop.
Yeah.
Where you see a lot of linebackers, 'cause they're usually smaller in this era, they slide off him.
Mm-hmm.
They lunge and they don't grab.
Totally.
He has really strong hands.
You brought up the, the age, which is kinda promising as well.
Another thing too is I still think he's trying to get comfortable in coverage.
Yeah.
And that's not It's nitpicking, 'cause it's so hard to cover as a bigger linebacker, but there was times where I felt like he just was a little confused- I, I- out in space don't disagree with you there where it was like, "Okay," like, "Should I flip my hips here?"
Right.
Yeah.
"Or should I go to the flat?"
Yeah.
I, I hear you there.
And I think, I think teams went after him in that way a little bit.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But also this is a d- That's coachable stuff though.
Right.
You know, that's where I always look.
I go, "At least it's not a- For a younger player.
Yes.
At least it's not a physical- No like, "Oh, he can't do this."
He doesn't have limitations.
No.
Right.
And that, that, that's, I think, you know, important.
It's tough because, like you said, this is such a good class that some guys are gonna be in the 6'7", 8 range that are usually in the 2'3"- Yeah 4 range of that.
Yeah.
And that's how- That's where you kinda have him.
I felt spoiled by Yeah.
Yeah.
I had him closer in the I have him linebacker seven.
Yeah, okay.
And we're gonna talk about some other guys pretty soon that are kind of in this giant mix.
So I just feel like he's a little raw still.
Well, the Here's the, here's the thing- But he can make me look really dumb in three years here's the thing where I would say he's raw a little bit, because he's, he's so, I think, gifted at getting and being a ball-hawking linebacker that, to your point, sometimes with blockers and stuff, he can have a habit of trying to go around them.
Or like, you know, there's times where you go, "Wait, deliver the blow, take on the blocker-" Right clog the hole that way, and then make the tackle.
But because he's so athletic and can do stuff, he might try to go around the b- the blocker or whatever.
Right.
And you go, "Wait, wait," but now he ran by you, the running back.
You, you let him go by.
And that, that's something, again, you It's coachable.
But he, he's got a natural feel for where the ball is.
He's a damn good football player.
I'm definitely a little higher on him than you.
Yep.
and, and I, I, you know, I wrote late first, top half of the second.
I mean, when you're 6'2", 238, 20 years old, just about to be 21, and you run 4.51, even with some of the things that you worried about, I think he's gonna get projected higher, because there's room to grow, I think, there for him.
And this is one of those ones where, like, I've been burned by it before.
I didn't like Quay Walker.
Ah.
Yeah.
Did not.
Yeah.
I was like, "He looks very confused on the field at all times."
Yeah.
He's probably the best athlete on the field wherever he walks on.
And then honestly, the first year in Green Bay, it was- No, it was I just, I understand it was like But now it's like- Yeah oh, wait, it's, patience is required.
Uh-huh.
And then there's guys, Jamin Davis, where it's like it, the green light never turn- Never turned on it can really go one of two ways.
Anthony Hill can be a really, really good linebacker- Yep.
Yeah in the NFL.
