What has been most apparent about this Cincinnati Bengals team, and for way too long now, has been the lack of defensive talent within the roster.
It isn't a secret, which is why the Bengals went out and traded for Dexter Lawrence and proceeded to use their second-round pick on edge rusher Cashius Howell. From there, Cincy didn't stop, as the Bengals took former Washington and Arizona cornerback Tacario Davis with the no. 72 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
At first glance, Davis is a tantalizing prospect. But, FanSided's draft expert, Mike Luciano, offered us a little more insight after the pick was made. In short, don't get too excited, Bengals fans.
"Why is a 6-4 cornerback who tackles well in open space, runs a 4.41 40-yard dash, and has multiple years of excellent tape against future NFL players not a Day 1 lock? He is a very penalty-prone player that can let up some big plays on occasion, and his 2025 tape was much worse than what he put on display previously," Luciano told me.
Bengals fans should proceed with caution after Tacario Davis selection
Well, he isn't wrong. Davis' sample size last year, with Washington, wasn't as large as he would have liked. Playing in only seven games, he earned a coverage grade of 65.0 per Pro Football Focus. He saw six penalties accepted against him in those games.
At 6-foot-4 and having a tremendous wing span, plus elite ball skills, Davis simply doesn't trust his own talent all of the time. Instead, he can get handsy with opposing receivers. That's something that hopefully coaching will fix.
Now, although Davis can be prone to giving up big plays and has a tendency to cough up a penalty once and a while, it isn't all bad. Luciano had a fairly high ceiling for a guy who ended up being a third-round pick:
"Davis' ceiling is that of a Pro Bowler, and the right defensive coaching staff could make the difference between a Day 2 steal or someone who struggles to get on the field."
This is fair. It isn't necessarily a home-run pick, but it certainly could be. Davis was one of those traits-based players who you could see an incredibly bright future for, but he'll need to buy into coaching and do some learning along the way.
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