The Dallas Cowboys have spent years trying to move past one of their worst draft misses of the last decade. That effort got a whole lot harder this week after Trysten Hill, the Cowboys’ former second-round pick out of the 2019 NFL Draft, was arrested.
Last week, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office in Texas took the 28-year-old defensive tackle, who never lived up to his draft-day billing during his time in Big D, into custody. He now faces serious legal trouble that threatens to close the book on his professional football career permanently.
And folks did the best in the comments section, as his violence is unforgettable.
Ex-Cowboys player Trysten Hill charged with assaulting a pregnant person
Hill was taken into custody on Thursday on a two-bond forfeiture warrant stemming from a criminal investigation that began in 2025. The charges includeassault of a pregnant person, a felony, and interference with an emergency request for assistance in Ellis County.
Oct 9, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers (3) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill (72) during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Oct 9, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers (3) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill (72) during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
A bond forfeiture means Hill failed to meet the conditions of his original bail agreements stemming from that investigation. He was booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center in Waxahachie and is being held on a $3,500 total bond. The identity of the pregnant person has not been disclosed.
A former Dallas Cowboys second-round draft pick was arrested last week in Ellis County. https://t.co/VjFCHo73XG pic.twitter.com/bs2uV219cD
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) March 31, 2026
Hill was selected 58th overall in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was the team’s first pick that year because Dallas had traded their 2019 first-round pick to the Oakland Raiders in Oct. 2018 to acquire wide receiverAmari Cooper.
Over the course of 25 games with the Cowboys from 2019 to 2022, he recorded 33–36 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
The Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots both gave him second chances, but neither stint amounted to much. Hill went unsigned through the entire 2025 season.
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Hill already has a history of league discipline, including a one-game suspension in 2021 for punching an opponent and multiple fines for “dirty” play. Teams usually weigh a player’s talent against their off-field issues. But for a veteran with only 1.5 sacks in six years, the risk is simply too high.
NFL fans react to Trysten Hill’s shocking arrest
The image from custody showed him smiling, which upset many fans.
One fanwrote, “Pregnant woman, you ridiculous goons.”
Another onepenned, “Never liked him, COWARD!!”
The third oneclaimed, “He needs to realize cops in Ellis County don’t play any games.”
A random X usernoted, “Dude was a bust.”
The fifth oneremarked, “What a Nonsense Smile.”
However, even if the charges are reduced, NFL teams rarely sign backup players dealing with active felony cases or major suspensions.