With the 72nd pick (3rd round) in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select CB Tacario Davis.
Below is my pre-draft scouting report on Davis:
School: Washington
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 194 lbs
Strengths:
– Rare size for the position, despite having a teammate at CB who also has similar size.
– With his length, he can jam at the line.
– Can really disrupt routes with his hand strike.
– Big tackle radius.
– Willing run defender.
– Good wrap-up technique as a tackler.
– Always looking to venture down low and help in run support.
– Long speed sometimes allows him to recover when beaten.
Weaknesses:
– A good athlete for his size, but is less fluid than his Washington teammate.
– Excels in press, but if he has to just get right into his coverage, he can quickly lose a step on his opponent.
– A high pad level doesn’t help when he is transitioning from his pedal.
– Twitched up receivers get quick wins.
– Too grabby, which led to too many penalties.
Summary:
Davis is a CB prospect with rare size, though you may not realize it if you watched Washington football this season, as their defence had two of these CB’s on the field together. Davis is at his best playing press coverage, where his hand strikes and long arms are very disruptive for receivers getting into their routes. He has good long speed, but he doesn’t have a ton of fluidity when flipping his hips. When not in press, or if his strike is dodged, receivers are able to create some quick separation. As far as his coverage goes, he is a scheme specific player, but teams will also appreciate his willingness and ability to help in run support. In the right scheme, he’ll be a starter, despite some of his limitations.
| Grade: 74.5 | Round Grade: 4th |
The Bengals entered the draft with a need at CB. However, with DJ Turner and Daxton Hill on the outside, there was thought that they might target a slot guy. But Davis is also primarily an outside CB.
There are a few things to consider. One is that they viewed this as a BPA pick. It wasn’t on my board, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the same on theirs. It also could have been a hedge with Turner and Hill both due for extensions. If they can’t get a deal done with one of them, a potential replacement is already being developed.
Interestingly, following the pick, Al Golden mentioned that Tre Flowers would sometimes cover TE’s out of the slot when he was here the first time. Perhaps they have a specific vision for Davis, who has rare size for the CB position.
With Turner and Hill locked into the outside spots for the Bengals, we’ll see if Tacario Davis gets a chance to compete with Jalen Davis for the job in the slot. With Tacario’s limitations, I don’t particularly like him in the slot, unless it is a specialized matchup against a TE or big receiver. We’ll have to see how it all gets sorted out in camp.
