It is the manifestation of the ultimate sports dream to be drafted by an NFL team. But being drafted by one’s hometown team is a dream of an even higher magnitude, and it is one that a rare few ever get to experience.
For Anthony Hill Jr., it is something that could very well become a reality in about a month. The talented off-ball linebacker spent the last three seasons at the University of Texas and attended high school in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and there has been some buzz lately that he could be headed to the Dallas Cowboys via next month’s NFL draft.
The Cowboys already have another former Longhorns linebacker by the name of DeMarvion Overshown, who showed some promise during his first pro season but missed much of 2025 after he tore his ACL, MCL and PCL late in 2024. He had previously missed all of 2023, which would’ve been his rookie year, due to a torn ACL.
But Overshown is someone Hill has admired, and during the Longhorns’ Pro Day this week, he expressed a desire to team up with Overshown on the Cowboys (h/t The Landry Hat).
“There can’t be two Agent 0’s, so I know I’d have to get a new number. But it would be a blessing to play with him. I’ve been watching him my whole life. It’d be really cool playing with him, just learning from him, and (I’ve been) kind of modeling my game after him while I’ve been at Texas.”
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Can Hill revitalize the Cowboys’ defense?
Dallas had a rough 2025 campaign, and it ended with the team missing the playoffs for the second year in a row. It finished last in points allowed and passing yards allowed, and its fans continue to bemoan the trade that sent superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.
Hill totaled 17 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles and four passes defended during his three seasons with the Longhorns. His numbers dipped a bit in 2025, as he was limited to 10 games due to injury, but he still earned First-team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row.
His NFL.com scouting report describes him as a “three-down linebacker with the playing demeanor and production of a future Pro Bowler,” and he is blessed with solid speed and athleticism. He seems equally adept at defending against the run as he is at defending against the pass.
Hill may not be taken in the first round of the NFL draft, but if he isn’t, he will almost certainly be chosen on Day 2.
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The Cowboys reportedly took him out to a private dinner just before the Longhorns’ Pro Day, so they could have something of an inside track to drafting him. They badly need pass rushers, and if they see enough potential in him, he could fit the bill as they look to maximize quarterback Dak Prescott’s remaining prime years.
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