Just two days out from the draft, the consensus positions of most Texas Longhorn draftees are clear.

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Having returned most of the high-level players on a generally less talented 2025 team, Texas doesn’t have any elite prospects like Kelvin Banks, Byron Murphy or Bijan Robinson, but players like Malik Muhammad, Jack Endries and Michael Taaffe have clear value that teams will attack in the middle rounds.

But a perplexing development in this draft cycle for many who have followed Longhorn football closely for the last three years is the general stock surrounding LB Anthony Hill.

Before the start of the year, the consensus mock draft database had Hill as a top-20 player, a clear-as-day first-rounder. Current locks like Dillon Thieneman and Caleb Lomu were within two spots of him.

But as time has passed, Hill’s stock continues to fall. From 19 at the start of the season to 38th at the turn of the new year. Three months later, he’s seen as the 49th overall prospect, according to the averages of draft analysts.

If you don’t trust your average Joe mocking their team, how about ‘The Big Three’: Daniel Jeremiah, Dane Brugler and Mel Kiper.

Even with Kiper’s somewhat unruly conduct surrounding Shedeur Sanders last cycle, these three are almost always the most tapped in when it comes to NFL valuation and player value.

Brugler has him as the No. 50 overall player. Jeremiah is a little more favorable at No. 37, but Brugler has him as low as 58. These four data points average out right at that 49th overall player.

So what happened in 2025, a down year for Texas, that has hurt his stock?

Firstly, the context of who is around him in the draft is important.

Linebacker is arguably the least valuable position in the draft. It’s easy to find value in free agency; the best teams don’t invest heavily and it’s rare to see multiple in the first round.

Hill is seen as the No. 5 LB. That’s a problem.

The last time five off-ball linebackers went in the first 50 picks (let alone first round) was in 2019, and even that has some asterisks given eventual positional fits in the NFL.

Only so many teams want a player at a replaceable position in the first round, especially given the talent at tackle and edge this year, two of the most premium positions.

Now, there’s some context in that group of players. Arvell Reese will be drafted second overall with the hopes of playing edge rusher. Sonny Styles is a 1 of 1 LB prospect and will be a top-10 pick. That’s rare.

But it seems like the NFL likes CJ Allen, a tremendous SEC producer with Georgia, more, and some front offices may prefer B12 standouts like Jacob Rodriguez and Jake Goladay.

Past the politics of the draft itself, Hill’s 2025 was good, but not great.

There was an assumed leap coming off a strong 2024 in his first year as a Mike linebacker, but as a result of multiple factors, he didn’t blossom into a CFB superstar.

He dealt with injury, and Texas missed the playoff, so he only played in 10 games, seven against power conference opponents. His pressure numbers weren’t gaudy outside of the Mississippi State game, and he didn’t stuff the stat sheet against Ohio State. He had a great INT against Georgia, but they picked him off in coverage at other moments.

Here’s Jeremiah’s, the most high on Hill, scouting report:

Hill is a fluid mover with outstanding size and speed. Against the run, he isn’t physical to take on blockers, but he has excellent quickness and change of direction to work around them or avoid them altogether. His instincts and speed put him in position to make a lot of plays. He has outstanding closing speed from the back side. In pass coverage, his change of direction is elite. He can use his burst to make tackles underneath. He has the agility to match up with the athletic tight ends he’ll face at the next level. He’s a reliable, chest-up tackler. He’s also a superb blitzer, relying on speed to pressure quarterbacks. Overall, Hill isn’t an overly violent/aggressive player, but his athleticism is an asset at the position. 

Brugler agrees that his athleticism is strong, but that he must improve his instincts in the run game, one of the superpowers of players like Allen and Rodriguez. He can also be a tad overaggressive and rely on the blitzes to get him production.

But there’s clearly still value to be had with drafting him.

He’s an early contributor and an early declare, something that NFL teams absolutely adore, especially at a school like Texas that made two semi-finals with him on the defense.

That blitz ability is also a strength that should appeal to teams in that early second-round territory. He can come into the NFL as the third linebacker of a room, playing the SAM role in base and coming in on obvious passing downs as a pass rusher, either off the edge or as a LB pair.

Sound familiar? That’s how he made his name at Texas as early as his second game at Alabama.

There’s a lot of room to grow in his game, and his athleticism makes it more likely he can learn at the highest level.

Hill has gotten a bit unlucky in the cycle, coming out in a once-a-decade LB class that also features a lot of value at 2-3 premium positions, not to mention the injuries.

The Vikings have pick 49, a team that doesn’t need LB help, but before them are the Colts at pick 47, a team that struggled at LB last year and lost Zaire Franklin. They need some juice next to Akeem Davis-Gaither and Germaine Pratt, but also another pass rusher alongside Laiatu Latu and DeForest Buckner.

It’s not the sexiest spot, nor the first round hope from before the season, but Hill has all the makings to be a long-time starter and contributor at the next level.