CINCINNATI, Ohio — Amid a poor defensive season for the Bengals, a burgeoning star has emerged in the secondary.
Third-year cornerback DJ Turner II has made a significant leap in 2025, developing into the star of the secondary with a league-high 17 pass breakups and two interceptions.
According to head coach Zac Taylor, Turner’s emergence represents the culmination of a developmental process that has transformed him into a defensive cornerstone.
“I’ve told stories all season about training camp conversations with him, and just really proud of him, the way he’s handled everything and the way that he just fights every week,” Taylor told reporters during his weekly media availability. “I mean, you can genuinely feel the confidence from him, oozing off of him. And he’s been a tremendous asset for us.”
That confidence isn’t merely bravado—it’s the product of intense preparation and a willingness to embrace challenges that would intimidate many young cornerbacks.
“He understands what it means to cover their best guy,” Taylor explained. “He understands all that that entails, the good and the bad. He’s willing to embrace it all. And proud of the season he’s having, and he’ll just continue to lead us.”
Turner’s development is particularly noteworthy because it aligns with the conventional wisdom about NFL cornerbacks hitting their stride in year three. Taylor pointed to this phenomenon when discussing Turner’s growth trajectory.
“You get into that third year, that fourth year, and a lot of things start to kick in,” Taylor noted. “Corner’s a really challenging position. There’s a lot of ups and downs when you’re facing the high level of players you gotta face every week in this league. And so your experience really starts to kick in.”
For cornerbacks, the mental processing and pattern recognition that comes with experience often proves as valuable as physical attributes. As Taylor discussed, “You’ve seen a lot of different things. You’ve started to see repeat receivers over and over again. So you understand a little bit of maybe how they’re trying to attack you and some of the nuances of their game.”
Turner’s emergence comes at a crucial for Cincinnati’s defense, which has faced its share of challenges this season. As the Bengals prepare for their rematch with the Baltimore Ravens, Turner’s ability to match up with top receivers provides a defensive anchor that allows flexibility elsewhere in coverage schemes.
In Taylor’s eyes, Turner’s approach to the game separates him as much as his on-field performance.
“I think he’s just really disciplined with how he goes about his whole process, how he practices, how he plays,” Taylor said, before adding the ultimate coaching endorsement: “He’s proven to be a guy that we can really count on.”