DJ Turner II already connecting with former Bengals CB Leon Hall
The Michigan secondary is quickly becoming a pipeline for the Cincinnati Bengals. After drafting Dax Hill with their first-round pick last year, the AFC North champions went back to Ann Arbor to add DJ Turner II, also known as JuanDrago Turner. Turner and Hill were teammates during the 2021 season that saw the Wolverines clinching […]
The Michigan secondary is quickly becoming a pipeline for the Cincinnati Bengals. After drafting Dax Hill with their first-round pick last year, the AFC North champions went back to Ann Arbor to add DJ Turner II, also known as JuanDrago Turner.
Turner and Hill were teammates during the 2021 season that saw the Wolverines clinching their first of back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. They'll be teammates once more not just to make playoff runs with the Bengals, but to make another Michigan alum honored to share a similar career path.
Former Bengals cornerback Leon Hall, who still lives in Cincinnati eight years after his time with the franchise concluded, reached out to the Bengals' newest cornerback to start a rapport.
"He told me congrats and just let me know when you get in town. Stuff like that," Turner said to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. The connections between the two go beyond college and professional teams. Hall was an outside cornerback who eventually found an elite niche as the Bengals' slot defender for several formidable seasons. His skillset and athleticism to play both outside and in matches Turner's to a tee.
"I heard about his game," Turner said. "That's how I heard about him. How he could do both."
The Bengals may or may not ask Turner to do the same. The beauty of drafting him while three starting cornerbacks are all under contract lies in Turner being able to backup all three as a rookie. Whether he's the future Chidobe Awuzie replacement, or the Mike Hilton's heir in the slot, the Bengals have another speedy Wolverine to patrol the secondary on their hands.
That’s something Hall should feel proud to observe.
"Between Dax and DJ I think it's pretty cool for Leon to see the success Michigan has had and to see those players come in here," safeties coach Robert Livingston said. "For somebody to come to Cincinnati to play most of their career and still live here, it kind of speaks to what he feels about the city and this organization. I think the world of Leon and there's no better sounding board for advice for a young player than a guy who has lived it and been in their shoes."
Turner put on his Bengals shoes for the first time last weekend at rookie minicamp and will be practicing with Hill and the veterans throughout this week and beyond. With Awuzie still on the comeback trail from his ACL surgery several months ago, he'll see plenty of reps in the secondary as he prepares for his rookie season.
