Bengals Player Profile: Tacario Davis is Cincinnati’s new and unique answer at cornerback
The Cincinnati Bengals were locked in on Tacario Davis all throughout the NFL Draft process, and his rare combination of size, speed, and ball skills make it easy to see why.
We’re 35 days (five weeks!) away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. Every member of the Bengals’ 90-man roster will have a player profile prior to the end of the preseason and final cuts. Check out previous player profiles here.
The next player in the countdown was the second of seven selections Cincy made in this year’s draft.
Tacario Davis Player Profile
Age: 21
Year: Rookie
Position: Cornerback
College: Washington
Jersey Number: 20
Tacario “BoBo” Davis was selected with the No. 72 pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Prior to the NFL, Davis played four years of college ball. He spent his first three seasons (2022-24) at Arizona before transferring to Washington (2025). He started 29 of the 37 games he played in.
Davis broke out for the Wildcats in 2023, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 as he led the conference in passes defensed (15) to go with 25 tackles and an interception. He made second-team All-Big 12 in 2024 with 44 tackles, and team-leading six PDs. He transferred to Washington following the year, but only played seven games for the program thanks to a rib and hamstring injury. The 21-year-old still managed to be named honorable mention All-Big Ten, registering 19 tackles, three PDs, and two INTs.
“He has the ability to play man to man coverage versus elite wide receivers in this league,” assistant general manager Trey Brown said of Davis. “A lot of guys can’t do that. They might excel in other areas, but ultimately, we feel like you got to be a good cover guy to really ascend into a starting outside corner in this league, and he checks all those boxes.”
Contract details
Davis signed a four-year, $7,236,420 rookie contract with the Bengals. His base salary for 2026 is the minimum $885,000. He’s also getting $1,722,852 as a signing bonus. His cash figure for the year is $2,607,852, and his salary cap hit will be $1,315,713.
Roster outlook
The Bengals locked in on Davis all throughout the draft process, according to Brown, but picking him as early as they did left many analysts surprised. He was outside the top-100 on the consensus big board, leading to the expectation he would be a Day 3 pick.
It’s easy to see why Cincinnati had a much higher grade on its third-round selection. Davis is 6-4, 194 pounds with great ball skills and long speed. He ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. His size, speed, and ability to find the ball make a rare combination at his position.
Davis is making the team, likely in line to be the main backup behind DJ Turner II and Dax Hill on the outside.
Roster odds: 100%