Why Tacario Davis Could Impact the Bengals’ Plans for Dax Hill

Many Bengals players are eligible for extensions. Cornerback DJ Turner, defensive lineman Myles Murphy and running back Chase Brown, just to name a few. Another interesting name plays opposite Turner, and that's Dax Hill, who has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career in Cincinnati after being drafted out of the University of Michigan.

The consensus says Turner is the more valuable option of the two at cornerback, and the majority of Bengals fans would prefer Turner be extended before Hill. The Bengals may have sent a signal about their plans for Hill when they drafted fellow cornerback Tacario Davis out of Washington in the third round of the NFL draft.

Davis, who started his career at Arizona and had a great career with the Wildcats before transferring to Washington, posted 20 tackles and two interceptions in 2025 with the Huskies. He was selected with a valuable third-round pick by the Bengals.

If Hill is to receive an extension before the season, that could point to the fact that Davis didn't impress during OTAs or training camp to the point that the front office was willing to move forward with the third-round pick as its No. 2 cornerback going forward after the 2026-2027 season.

Hill is 6-foot, while Davis is the more prototypical long cornerback at 6-foot-4. It's easy to look at both Hill and Davis and see that Davis has the higher ceiling, but as Chatterbox Sports pointed out, he has struggled against elite route runners in the past. Playing in the NFL could very well magnify his biggest weakness and give him trouble.

Davis is also just 21 years old. He ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash and posted a 37-inch vertical jump at the 2026 NFL Combine. He recorded a 9.76 Relative Athletic Score, which balances all of his testing numbers with his frame.

I don't expect this to be a full-on competition between Davis and Hill, as Hill will likely be the No. 2 cornerback going into the season. His experience and performance through four years have been solid, even if they aren't good enough to demand an extension before DJ Turner. But Davis has the frame and success in college to at least project as a figurehead in the Bengals' defensive backfield for a few years to come, especially if he can get the right coaching and development as he eases into the NFL.

Tacario Davis is a player to follow during training camp and the preseason.