The Cincinnati Bengals were expected to address the cornerback position at some point in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Washington CB Tacario Davis became the No. 72 pick.

Cincinnati has not drafted a corner in the first four rounds of the draft since 2023 when DJ Turner was picked No. 60 overall in the second round. Davis figures to be behind Turner and Dax Hill on the depth chart, but he cannot be physically hidden behind any defensive back on the Bengals’ roster.

Tacario Davis has the length Cincinnati prioritized at cornerback

Davis is a towering athlete at 6-4, 194 pounds with arms just shy of 34″ and a wingspan just shy of 81″. He is a physical specimen when he’s stationary, but he can also run the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds.

That combination of height-length-speed is all kinds of rare as a defensive back, and as our own Adam Holt explains, he puts it to good use:

Davis has freaky size and length at the position at 6-foot-4 with 34.325-inch arms. His speed showed up at the combine with a 4.41 40-yard dash. He uses arm length to slow receivers at the line of scrimmage and doesn’t shy away from battling with the football in the air. The 21-year-old totaled twenty pass deflections in college and has starting potential in the pros. Must improve fluidity in his hips, and gets lost in man coverage at times. Really fun player who has physical attributes that give him an instant upper hand, even against NFL pass catchers.

The Bengals didn’t hide why they targeted Davis when they did.

“We wanted length,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said after the pick. “And we targeted length with this pick.”

No other corner in the draft has that characteristic more than Davis, and in the eyes of the Bengals, it gives him an edge going forward.

Long-term hopes are high

Cincinnati has its starting corners already on the roster, but with Turner and Hill entering contract years, the idea of Davis eventually replacing one of them is very much on the table.

“He has the ability to play man to man coverage versus elite wide receivers in this league,” assistant general manager Trey Brown said. “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.”

Davis was expected to go off the board some time in the fourth round, but the Bengals see him as a premier player due to the things they cannot teach him. It’s a slight risk, but the reward is also very high if he pans out.

Grade: C+