The Penn State product signed with the team earlier this week and will hit the ground running as the Redskins prepare to face the Vikings.
Defensive coordinator Joe Barry remembered defensive lineman Jordan Hill three years ago, auditioning for NFL teams as a senior from Penn State and liked his ability. He referred to him as a "juice guy," someone who could cause havoc in the backfield as a pass rusher.
That's part of the reason Barry is happy general manager Scot McCloughan decided to sign Hill earlier this week, replacing tight end Niles Paul's roster spot to provide some more depth on the defensive line.
The Steelton, Penn., native spent his first three years in the league with the Seattle Seahawks. His best season came in 2014, when he recorded 15 tackles, 5.5 sacks and an interception in 13 games. After seeing some of that production drop last year, Seattle parted ways with Hill this offseason.
The Penn State product visited the Redskins' facility two weeks ago for a tryout and was told to be ready in case the team needed to make a roster move. That happened after the bye week, and Hill got the call and hurried to Loudoun County, Va., to start his initiation.
"This is my first time going through the process, you know?" Hill said. "The last three and a half years I've been out in Seattle, my whole career, and I haven't had to deal with that. Now I'm learning the other side of the business and you know, like I said, this organization's making it great for me.
"Everybody in the organization's really made it easy for me," he said. "It feels like home, I grew up two hours from here, it feels good to be back east."
Hill has had to hit the ground running – learning the playbook and meeting teammates -- as the team prepares for the Vikings this Sunday. Barry and head coach Jay Gruden believe his pass rushing will be a valuable asset moving into the second half of the season.
Check out these photos of the Redskins' defense and special teams preparing for their Week 10 game against the Minnesota Vikings Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, at the Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park.
"Just starting to learn this defense and how much movement we do on a base package and even nickel. I feel like that's an advantage for me, I feel like that's a part of my game," Hill said, "In the nickel package, just pass rushing, that's what I did out in Seattle and that's what I want to do here."
The Redskins defense ranks 26th in rushing yards per game (123.8) and next to last in yards per rush, part of the reason why adding another body on the line to evaluate doesn't hurt.
It's unclear whether he will be activated for Sunday's game or how long the Redskins intend to keep him, but Hill is just happy to latch onto a team at this point in the year. He's also happy to hear a coach just call his name again.
"It's cool. Sitting there calling the names, it was good to hear Coach [Barry] just say, 'Hey Jordan, good job. Let's go, let's get it going,'" Hill said. "When you're out there playing, it just makes you feel more comfortable."
