Mutual Admiration Society On The Corner
Dax Hill, Turner’s Michigan teammate and cornerback on the other side in what has been an impactful tandem the last five games, could tell Turner was “a little mad,” at the news. But his teammate rallied to him.
“Everybody in here knows what kind of year he’s had and that’s what we told him,” Hill said. “It will just add fuel to the fire. We all know what he’s done.”
All Turner could do was talk Hill. When the Bengals drafted Hill with the 31st pick in 2022, a year before they took Turner in the second round, they knew they were getting a college nickel who could play anything. After Hill played more than 1,000 snaps at safety his second year, they moved him to nickel, where he was solid until Cam Taylor-Britt got hurt in the first game out of the bye. They needed Jalen Davis’ experience in the slot, and they were confident Hil could go to outside corner, and he’s proved them so right in this stretch that coincides with the best defense of the season that we may be looking at the 2026 Opening Day outside cornerbacks.
“I always knew he could do it,” Tuner said. “Nickel and corner are two different positions, and he just had to get comfortable. He looks good.
“I’ve been saying it. Pull it up. He’s the only defensive back in the league who can do what he does. I saw him do it coming out of high school. We’re the same class. There’s nobody in the entire NFL that can do what he does. I’ll stand by that.”
Hil says the toughest adjustment is learning the broader range of routes that receivers can run outside as opposed to inside at nickel. No matter.
“I’ll play wherever they think they need me,” Hill said.