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Tacario Davis to Bengals in NFL draft: Instant grade for round 3 pick
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- Tacario Davis to Bengals in NFL draft: Instant grade for round 3 pick
The Cincinnati Bengals remained committed to overhauling their defense by taking Washington Huskies cornerback Tacario Davis in Round 3 with the 72nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Davis is the ninth defensive player the Bengals have taken in Rounds 1-3 since 2023. Cincinnati used both its picks Friday night on defensive players, with Davis following second-round pick Cashius Howell of Texas A&M.
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Here's our instant draft grade and our rapid analysis of the pick:
Washington cornerback Tacario Davis to Bengals NFL draft grade: Instant reaction
Grade:C+
Why: "Doesn't miss many tackles," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said of Davis.
That's a big deal for the Bengals, who led the NFL in missed tackles last season. Remember safety Geno Stone consistently whiffing on tackles downfield? Davis' job will be to help fix that as the Bengals' potential new nickel. He should bolster the depth of a secondary that includes talented cornerbacks Dax Hill and DJ Turner and newly signed veteran safety Bryan Cook .
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Davis, 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, is big and fast and has the ability to cover one-on-one downfield. But draft analysts are critical of his footwork, saying he struggles to quickly change directions. One ESPN analyst called Davis' technique "sloppy."
Davis battled multiple injuries last season and only played in eight games. He only had two interceptions over his final two seasons in college.
Bottom line:The Bengals needed a nickel. Give them credit for continuing to bolster their defense and picking a position of need. But there were several higher-ranked cornerbacks in the draft that the Bengals passed on to take Davis. The Bengals do not have a good track record of developing defensive players, and they probably should've taken a more NFL-ready player with this pick.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tacario Davis NFL draft round 3 grade for Cincinnati Bengals
