Top 10 interior defensive linemen in the 2019 NFL Draft

#T-10 Trysten Hill, UCF

Hill had started all 26 games under former head coach Scott Frost, earning second-team All-AAC honors as a sophomore, but for some reason didn’t earn a lot of playing time under the new regime last year

I had already known this kid’s name and watched some of him during the college season, but it wasn’t until a freakish combine performance that I really started putting on more of his tape and project him to the next level.

Hill had started all 26 games under former head coach Scott Frost, earning second-team All-AAC honors as a sophomore, but for some reason didn’t earn a lot of playing time under the new regime last year.

He still had his most productive season (10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks) and was a monster in his lone start in the conference championship game, but ended his time at UCF on a bitter note, barely playing in the team’s bowl game versus LSU and showing frustration with the coaching staff in his early declaration to the NFL draft.

At 6’3”, around 305 pounds, Hill has a special first step and is incredibly nimble for a defensive tackle to get around blockers. He has the upfield burst to immediately put offensive linemen in a bad position.

Overall he shows a strong punch, plays with good extension and provides himself with vision on the backfield that way. Hill has some snaps where he just bench-presses a blocker three yards into backward and wrestles down the running back.

When he sees some type of counter going the opposite way, Hill can pull his blocker off himself and work back over the top to get involved in the play. He also is very disruptive on stunts, where he goes across a blocker and shows up behind the line.

The pursuit he displays for a guy beyond 300 pounds is just bonkers, as he chases down running backs trying to make somebody miss in the flats after pivoting back from the quarterback several yards in the opposing backfield.

That jump off the snap also gives him an advantage as a pass rusher and Hill works half the man in that area. He has a strong rip-through that he combines with a step past his blocker, which takes away any area to grab and gives him a clear path towards the quarterback.

He 6akes advantage of the principle of one arm being longer than two and doesn’t give blockers a chance to grab on power rushes. Guards don’t seem to have the lateral agility to stay with the former Golden Knight when he crosses their face on stunts.

He also has experience with interior twists, where he loops from one B-gap all the way to the opposite one. Hill flashes a sweet spin move every once in a while, which he should use more frequently going forward.

Hill ducks his head on too many occasions and just runs into somebody, which can be completely irrelevant for the outcome of the play. At times he just gives up his responsibilities inside when he sees a jet sweep fake or such as, where he tries to work to the outside.

Hill’s number of tackles was not nearly where it could have been. He needs to break down for some stops in the backfield, where he leaves his feet and just shoots past the ball-carrier. As a pass rusher, his talent is undeniable and he gets some quick wins just shooting through gaps, but he needs to do a better job of using his hands and keeping blockers off his body.

The large D-lineman has extremely fluid hips and is incredibly explosive for his size, which he proved to me at the combine a few weeks ago.

I don’t know the exact circumstances of why he didn’t play more last season and obviously you want to sit down with him about it if you plan on drafting Hill, but when I purely evaluate his tape and the potential I see him, also considering the effort he showcases, there is no way he is making it past the top 100 picks for me.

He will be a day one contributor as a 3-tech and he will only get better going forward.