It takes Bengals cornerbacks coach Charles Burks merely two minutes to cull four clips showing why Dax Hill has emerged as one of the Bengals' most dangerous players heading into Sunday's game (4:25 p.m.-Cincinnati’s FOX 19) at Paycor Stadium against the Lions' punishing No. 1 scoring offense.

"This is Dax's kind of game," Burks says. "He's extremely physical."

He's also everything else. Hill, much like Ja’Marr Chase, his Triple Crown counterpart on the other side of the ball, has been lining up as a starter in three different spots this season, which he started doing in the fifth game last year.

It's nearly a year to the day Hill began working at nickel against the Ravens. But his season was over before it started when he tore his ACL on the 14^th play of the game.

Paycor Stadium. Oct. 6, 2024.

Now, getting ready for Oct. 5, 2025, at Paycor Stadium, Burks is watching four plays from Monday night in Denver. Of all things, Hill's 25^th birthday.

"He's a weapon," Burks says. "The ultimate chess piece. The offense has to find him."

On two of the plays, Hill is at his favored nickel position in the slot. In his best Mike Hilton, Hill anticipates so well, he turns the line of scrimmage into mush to break up the play with penetration and pursuit.

On one of the plays, Hill is at cornerback and sets the edge on third down from the Bengals 2 and makes a touchdown-saving tackle chasing down a Jet sweep.

On another play, third-and-nine, Hill is the "Money," man as the sixth defensive back in the Bengals' dime package perched in the middle of the field guarding the hash and near the line of scrimmage. A flip of Hill's hips turns man leverage into zone, and Denver quarterback Bo Nix has to pull the ball down, flee the pocket, and then the field.

"A long way to go still, coming off the knee," Burks says. "But he's doing the things we saw him do at an elite level in college."

Linebacker Logan Wilson, also coming off knee surgery, is impressed as well.

"He's playing everywhere and anywhere we need him," Wilson said. "He's literally a jack of all trades. I feel like nickel is finally his real position, and he's been everywhere else. He's really a good blitzer. He can cover guys. Everything you want."

Go back to the draft after the Bengals went to the Super Bowl, and this is why you take the best player on the board.

There sat at No. 30, Hill, the gifted nickel from Michigan who had wowed the combine scouts with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash a few weeks after Hilton had showed the world in a dominant postseason why he was one of the best nickels in the game.

But to them, Hill was clearly the best player at that spot. A top 15 player. One whose versatility could always be used in a pass-happy league. He sat and watched that rookie season, until Burks called him into his office the Monday before they traveled to Tampa Bay for a mid-December game in the middle of that must-have eight-game winning streak.

"Mike (Hilton) was hurt. J.D. (Jalen Davis) was hurt," Burks says. "I told him, 'You're playing nickel against Tom Brady Sunday.' It worked out pretty well."

The Bengals turned over Brady's Hall of Fame bust on most of his second-half possessions, beat the Bucs and went to the playoffs. Hill went on to be as versatile as a utilityman but more valuable. And he never said a word as he played anywhere they asked.

"A dream to coach," Burks says, rolling through his text messages and finding a couple from Hill sent on an off day. "He'll send clips. Dax is a football junkie."

He's also running 4.38 again. At least it looks it a year after Joe Burrow’s surgeon fixed it and Matt Summers' rehab team, chaired by Nick Cosgray, did the rest in the bowels of Paycor.

"I felt like when I got through the first game in Cleveland feeling good, that was reassuring," Hill says. "I feel very confident in that (nickel) position. I'm playing good ball, but I feel like there's a lot more on the table for me."

You want to see some 4.38?

Burks goes back to that third-and-goal and Hill, playing cornerback and setting the edge. There is Denver guard Ben Powers pulling and running back RJ Harvey jet sweeping to the edge, and there is Hill shoving off the block.

Wilson: "A hell of a play. I was running, but I don't think I could have got him if Dax didn't."

"If I didn't have my speed, that would have been a touchdown," Hill says. "He bounced out. He kind of had a step on me. I got him and made sure I didn't let go. I saw the guard pull. That's all she wrote. I stayed outside."

If that anticipation sounds very Mike Hilton of him, it's because it is. Hill admired his work in the same cornerbacks room the previous three years, and while he may be gone, Hilton is being watched. They routinely digest film of a couple of years ago as Hill still picks up bits from Iron Mike.

"It's good to have players like that in the locker room. Guys who have been there to show the way for other guys," Hill says. "He's a quick-witted guy in terms of instincts, knowing where to be at the right time. Anticipation. I felt like that was his best attribute as a player. Just his anticipation. Knowing where the football is going to be. He was one of the best in the league, and I feel like a great guy to keep looking up to as well."

Burks clicks on the first third down in Denver Monday night. Another third-and-two. Hill is on Nix's right in the slot. What Burks likes is Hill alerts the defense to a potential run as Denver deploys.

There is wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. going in motion away from Hil, but Hill sees the crack-toss blocks developing. He stays left, shoots the gap, beats the linemen to the spot, and forces Harvey wide so defensive end Joseph Ossai can stop him for no gain.

"He stops right there because he knows the toss play is about to happen," Burks says. "That's really good instincts. He's moving before the play develops. Not after the play. This play is made because of Dax."

If you want to see even better, Burks clicks into the next quarter and the Broncos facing a first-and-19. Hill is in the slot on Nix's right setting the edge when Nix flips a screen to Harvey in front of tight end Nate Adkins coming in motion. Adkins has all the momentum and looks about to bury Hill.

But Hill jackhammers his feet to make leverage disappear, spins out of the block, and smashes into Harvey for a two-yard gain.

"Spectacular play. Spectacular," Burks says. "Just the way he's able to torque himself, stay balanced, and be violent."

Which is exactly the kind of game it's going to be Sunday against Lions head coach Dan Campbell's marauders from the NFC North.

A year later, it's a Dax Hill game.

"We have to be in the box, too," Hill says. "They'll be in (multi-tight ends). They'll be in some (three-receiver sets) and their receivers get downfield and block. No. 14 (Amon-Ra St. Brown) blocks. He'll try to knock us out of gaps. Nickels are heavily involved in games like this."

Burks turns off the clicker and leans back, one year later.

"Dax's game," he says.