Will Hill: Is He the Answer in the Baltimore Ravens Secondary?

By Shawn Brubaker | Sep 25, 2014

Dec 22, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; New York Giants free safety Will Hill (25) makes an interception for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Giants beat the Lions 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Ed Reed was the standard-bearer for single-high safeties, as I wrote about in my article yesterday, but he is no longer an option. Will Hill, once he comes off suspension, is.

But is he the answer to the Ravens’ prayers in the secondary? That’s a big question that depends on two things: how Dean Pees uses Hill and if Hill can recapture the magic of last year, when he was one of the best safeties in the league.

Let’s start by taking a look at Hill as a player.

The New York Giants used Hill frequently in the deep middle in a Cover 3 scheme, a role that Matt Elam and Darian Stewart have filled mostly unsuccessfully this year. Hill also played some deep safety in Cover 2 and Cover 1 looks, with a few snaps in blitzes or man coverage. He did some solid work close to the line of scrimmage as well.

That zone experience should lend itself well to the Ravens’ scheme, which has been Cover 3 heavy this year.

When in deep zone, Hill was decent. He has good range and did a good job of keeping plays in front of him, but he didn’t show that rare ability to make up for other’s mistakes that made Ed Reed so good. Few do. If Hill can just keep plays in front of him, he will immediately be a step up from what the Ravens currently have.

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Hill is also a sound tackler, displaying better form than both Elam and Stewart in terms of wrapping up. Hill only missed four tackles last year, an impressive number for a safety.

Where Hill was special last year was his aggressiveness. He flat out flies around the field, making him a very enjoyable player to watch. He actually made the bulk of his special plays closer to the line of scrimmage. Screen defense was a big plus for Hill, as he was difficult to block and aggressive in sniffing them out and blowing them up.

Two flaws in Hill’s game could keep him from being the centerfielder Ravens fans have clamored for: his ball skills and penalties.

Hill only had two penalties last season, but a look at his film shows that was a minor miracle. Hill had a few head shots (every safety does unfortunately) and occasionally could have been flagged for interference. As a very aggressive player, this isn’t a surprise. It’s the price Hill will have to pay for his aggressiveness, but it’s a price worth paying.

In terms of ball skills, Hill just doesn’t seem to have tremendous ability in this area. Two passes defended and two interceptions pretty well summarizes Hill in this regard. He can cover his own area well enough, but with the ball in the air, Hill probably won’t make many big plays.

In an ideal scenario, Hill would be allowed to play more of a strong safety role, but this is not an ideal scenario in Baltimore.

One final point that I can’t stress enough: This scouting report is from Hill last year. It’s been around nine months since Hill has played in a football game, and his six-game suspension seems likely to remain untouched. There is a very real chance Hill will be rusty, or worse, out of shape. We just don’t know.

And of course, no matter how much of an impact Hill makes on the back end, there is no guarantee Dean Pees will call a more aggressive game plan. If Pees continues to call vanilla off coverages, Hill may reduce the amount of big plays allowed, but opposing passers will still march up and down the field with short passes.

But to answer my initial question, I don’t think Hill will be the savior of the Ravens secondary, but he will be a clear upgrade if he maintains his level of play from a year ago. Regardless of how well he plays, though, Hill will probably never be that centerfielder the Ravens need so badly.

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