Anthony Hill Jr. — 2026 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

While Micah Parsons may hope to keep him in the DFW, Hill is an athletic do-everything linebacker with sideline-to-sideline range to make plays defending the run or in coverage. And he may be at his best wreaking havoc as a blitzer. The former five-star recruit finished 2024 with 113 tackles including 16.5 for loss, eight sacks and four forced fumbles.

A linebacker is not going to go this early in the draft, but the Giants do not need a quarterback. Hill has been a personal favorite to watch early in the process. He has great size for the position and is also a great athlete capable of playing in space.

After the projected trade down, the Panthers would acquire extra draft capital and still have the chance to select Hill, the type of rangy middle linebacker that Carolina currently lacks. He's explosive with great range. His play speed and ability to sift through traffic make Hill a true sideline-to-sideline off-ball linebacker. But he can also get into the backfield, as his 15.5 tackles for loss was the 17th most among all FBS defenders in 2024. Carolina could use Hill as a blitzer.

A lynchpin of Texas' stout run defense that ranked seventh in EPA/rush last year, Hill Jr. (6-3, 235 pounds) recorded 7.5 sacks with a 19% pressure rate and 15.0 TFLs. He would immediately give Tampa Bay a productive, rangy middle linebacker to bolster the interior of its defense.

After arriving as a five-star true freshman, Hill has been a monster in the middle of the Longhorns defense, making plays all over the field. He moves incredibly well for a linebacker of his size and seems tailor-made for the modern NFL game with his ability to shut down rushing lanes as easily as he drops into coverage.

The Mike linebacker in Austin, Hill has a well-rounded skill set to make an impact as a blitzer, run stopper and cover man. The Longhorns had five defensive players drafted in the 2025 class, but their defense will be in good shape with Hill, true sophomore Colin Simmons and others.

A do-it-all off-ball linebacker with the diagnostic skills and athleticism to beat backs to the perimeter, drop into coverage and attack quarterbacks, Hill would have ranked among the best at his position in the 2025 draft, had he been eligible.

Whether it's closing in on quarterbacks as a blitzer, thumping in the run game or dropping back in coverage, Hill has a preternatural sense for finding the ball. The 6-3, 237-pound dynamo would be a scintillating figure on the second level of the Cowboys' defense, and Jerry Jones likely would be willing to shrug off questions of positional value more so than many other general managers.