NFL draft preview: Where Bengals stand at cornerback

Cornerback has finally come into focus as a major need for the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft this year.

Logically and with fans, cornerback was always a big need. The Bengals appear to have two future long-term starters at the position, provided the front office gets extensions done with them properly.

But the third spot and depth behind the starters is about as shaky as it gets leaguewide. It’s a quiet problem, but one that could come to the forefront at No. 10 overall.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Bengals at cornerback going into the draft.

Who's on the roster?

• DJ Turner II
• Dax Hill
• Jalen Davis
• DJ Ivey
• Jalen Kimber
• Bralyn Lux
• Josh Newton
• Ja'Sir Taylor

The Bengals got breakouts on the boundary from DJ Turner and Dax Hill last year. Turner looks like he has long-term No. 1 upside. Hill didn’t get to move outside until later in the season, but he was stellar there.

Those are the foundational building blocks for the Bengals’ defense. It feels like they’re the only sure, reliable things going into 2026. Both will probably be expected to be paid as such, perhaps over the summer.

What complicates things is if the Bengals take a corner at No. 10 who is a good fit on the boundary, which could cause the coaches to once again mess with Hill’s position. That could backfire.

Who departed this offseason?

• Marco Wilson (Dolphins)
• Cam Taylor-Britt (Colts)

Cam Taylor-Britt was never coming back. The former second-round pick flamed out badly, going from a possible No. 1 option to getting benched multiple times before a string of off-field issues.