Unpacking Future Packers: No. 5, Nebraska CB Tommi Hill

USA Today

21-04-2025

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 5, Nebraska CB Tommi Hill
The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers have had a lot of movement at the cornerback position this offseason. They lost Eric Stokes, Robert Rochell and Corey Ballentine, while Brian Gutekunst inked Nate Hobbs to a four-year deal.
The biggest puzzle piece will be Jaire Alexander. Gutekunst's first-ever pick as general manager seems to be on his way out of Green Bay, either via a trade or a straight-up release.
There figures to be more additions coming to the cornerback room via the 2025 NFL Draft, and a potential Day 3 target is Tommi Hill. The Nebraska cornerback checks in at No. 5 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A four-star recruit out of Florida, Hill started his collegiate career at Arizona State. After one season with the Sun Devils, Hill transferred to Nebraska in 2022. Hill started the 2022 campagin playing cornerback before switching to wide receiver after five games. During his five games at cornerback, Hill recorded four pass deflections. In 2023, Hill once again split time as a two-way player. He finished the season with four interceptions and nine pass deflections.
This past season, Hill played in just seven games due to an ankle injury. In seven games, he recorded one tackle for loss, one interception, which was a pick-six against Colorado.
"His 2024 tape doesn't advertise his coverage mobility as well, but he was dealing with plantar fasciitis in his foot for most of the season, and was eventually shut down by Matt Rhule as a result," Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. "Assuming he can get back to 100% in the NFL, he has the size, explosion, twitch, and bend to weaponize his eyes and off-coverage feel."
At 6-0, 213 pounds with nearly 33-inch arms, Hill looks great off the bus. He uses that length to reroute wide receivers and tighten passing windows. He uses those long arms to play through the hands of wide receivers and smothers them at the catch point.
Despite being a two-way player for the majority of his career, Hill's background as a wide receiver helps him understand route concepts. He's got an explosive downhill trigger and he's highly instinctive in zone coverage.
Due to his ankle injury, Hill didn't test leading up to the draft. However, he's a former track athlete and has the long speed to stay in lock step with wide receivers on vertical routes.
"The best aspect of Hill's coverage profile is his physical makeup, which gives him some inbuilt schematic versatility with additional development," Cummings said. "He's long, strong, and rangy, but also relatively low-to-the-ground, with fairly solid hip sink and transitioning ability for his size. Hill is still built a bit high-cut, and doesn't have elite fluidity, but he compensates with searing corrective twitch overtop breaks, and he has the bend to manage zones between overlapping routes when tracking vertical."
Hill's background as a wide receiver is evident by the way he attacks the ball. He's comfortable with the ball in the air and has the natural ball skills to make quarterbacks pay for throwing in his area code.
"Hill assuredly has a degree of natural playmaking ability," Cummings said. "His long wingspan and disruption radius magnifies that presence at the catch point. He's ultimately better as a playmaker when he's able to work downfield from his pedal in off-man and zone, as opposed to trailing WRs vertically. In the vertical phase, he can have trouble getting his head around. But when he can work with routes in front of him, he's an aggressive competitor with the length to pry through the wide receiver's cage, and with his route recognition and closing speed from depth, he's a definite turnover-generating threat."
Hill is a physical downhill cornerback who doesn't shy away from coming up in run support. With his wingspan, he has a wide tackle radius. In seven games this past season, Hill recorded 11 run stops and three missed tackles.
"Hill isn't as productive in run support as other prospects, but his frame translates well in contact situations," Cummings said. "He's shown he can anchor against wide receiver blocks on the boundary, as well as use his length to wrap up in the tackling phase. Moreover, when managing short zones, he can recognize drag and swing routes underneath and flip his hips to respond and pursue. The biggest issue for Hill in support may ultimately be his angles. There are times when he needs to correct his tracking angle before breaking down to engage at contact, and his non-elite hip fluidity sometimes renders him a step behind on correction. He'll need to iron out inconsistencies at the NFL level, but he has the build, temperament, and fast-flowing motion required for support play."
Fit with the Packers
The Packers have a lot of cornerbacks who can play on the boundary and in the slot. There is a lot of versatilty in that room. With his length, Hill would provide that room with a different flavor. The Nebraska cornerback checks the boxes with his frame, ball skills and athleticism.
"He's best in zone and off-man, with some projectability in press-man on account of his quick twitch, length, and play strength, Hill has the tools to be a savvy off-coverage bandit," Cummings said. "Though his game is still a bit too volatile in some areas, such as press-man reaction and blind spot IQ, he's a worthwhile investment with his size, athleticism, and playmaking ability."
Keisean Nixon and Hobbs figure to be the leaders in that room and both could start on the boundary with Javon Bullard in the slot.
There's also a scenario where Hobbs or Nixon is in the slot with Bullard playing deep, which would open the door for a player like Hill to challenge Carrington Valentine for reps on the boundary.
The Packers need to add depth to the cornerback position, and adding a player like Hill with his NFL-ready frame and playmaking ability would be great value in the fifth round.
Since he hasn't tested and missed the end of last season, Hill seems to be flying a bit under the radar. He has all the physical tools, natural instincts and ball skills to develop into a difference-maker.