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Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
Cincinnati Bengals draft Washington cornerback Tacario Davis in third round
- Story byJournal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
- Cincinnati Bengals draft Washington cornerback Tacario Davis in third round
Adding elite length at cornerback was a priority for the Cincinnati Bengals going into the draft, and they landed the prospect with the largest wingspan among all defensive backs who attended the 2026 NFL Combine.
The Bengals filled a big need by taking former Washington cornerback Tacario Davis with their third-round pick, at No. 72 overall. The 6-foot-4 athlete can play both outside and inside corner, and he slides into a defensive backs room where returning starters Dax Hill and DJ Turner are both in the final season of their contracts.
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While Davis could be the future at cornerback, the Bengals expect him to factor into their system immediately.
“When you look at big, long, athletic corners and that can absolutely fly, he checks the box,” Bengals assistant general manager Trey Brown said. “We felt good about going through the process with him, about having a guy on the outside that has high upside as a press corner, that can play man to man with elite receivers in this league. We feel like we got an outstanding prospect, and we were definitely excited to get him off the off the board there.”
Washington cornerback Tacario Davis makes a catch during a position workout during Washington's NFL football Pro Day Monday, March 16, 2026, in Seattle . LINDSEY WASSON / AP PHOTO
According to other boards, there were some bigger names available at No. 72, most notably first-round prospect and former Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, who missed the 2025 season due to an ACL tear and fell because of concerns he might need another procedure on the knee.
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Cincinnati went with a less risky option and took the 21-year-old Davis, who boasts an arm length of almost 34 inches and wingspan of almost 81 inches.
That length translated into a monster season in 2023 when he recorded 16 pass breakups in the second of three years at Arizona to begin his college career. That production didn’t translate into his junior and senior seasons, but he was still a second-team All-Big 12 Conference pick in 2024 with six pass breakups, 44 tackles and two tackles for loss in 12 games.
After transferring to Washington, he started seven games in 2025 and finished with 19 tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups, missing time with rib and hamstring injuries. Even when he wasn’t making plays, he was disrupting opposing quarterbacks and how they threw the ball.
“He's someone that actually has played a lot of ball, in terms of, started at Arizona, then transferred to Washington,” Brown said. “He came in and played right away, you know, probably threw him out on the fire, just in terms of high-end athletic traits, and then somebody that, over the course of his career has gotten better and better and better. And we feel like, with our staff, with Al's vision for the guy, he was the perfect fit. … To come out with him in the third round, a lot of these guys go really early in the draft.
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“When you put it, put it all together, you talk about the position, which is a premium position, you talk about the size and length. The guy's got over 33-inch arms, and he's running in low 4.4s, that's just hard to find. And you know, we were lucky to get him at this point, and we felt great about it.”
Davis said he has more to offer than he did last season. He looks forward to sharpening his skills and putting his instincts, arm length and speed to practice against “the best (wide receiver) duo in the league” in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins .
Although he’ll have time to develop more as a young rookie, Davis wants to make an impact as soon as possible.
“They’re turning the right direction, and I feel I can help that out and I could be that piece that they've been missing or tag along and elevate the team.”
