The Dallas Cowboys have no shortage of concerns in their cornerbacks room.
Trevon Diggs and rookie Shavon Revel are coming back from serious injuries, and the team doesn’t have a sure option in the slot after the departure of Jourdan Lewis.
It goes without saying Dallas could use reinforcements to shore up the position, and Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton could be the answer.
“Similarly, the Cowboys let long-time nickel Jourdan Lewis walk this past offseason without adding another clear option to replace him. Adding Hilton could keep DaRon Bland on the boundary while allowing the Cowboys to be patient with Trevon Diggs and rookie Shavon Revel Jr. as both recover from torn ACLs,” Holder wrote.
Right off the bat, one thing the Cowboys will love about Hilton is his availability. The 31-year-old has never played in fewer than 12 games in a season during his eight-year career, and has played in less than 15 games just twice (14 games in 2022, 12 games in 2020).
He’s also an elite run defender. Hilton posted a 91.7 run defense grade in 2024, the best in the NFL among cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus. That’s particularly attractive to a Cowboys team that ranked 29th against the run.
Hilton did have a down year in coverage, though. His 67.2% completion rate allowed and 92.0 passer rating surrendered were his worst marks since 2021.
Is that concerning, especially for a player who is getting up there in years? Sure, but the Cowboys can’t be too picky with their current situation.
Hilton remains a stellar insurance policy for Dallas and may not be needed for a significant role for all of 2025 if Revel and Diggs can get back healthy and contribute.
Not to mention, Hilton should come relatively cheap at this late stage in free agency, so there isn’t much risk financially.
