The Cincinnati Bengals addressed the secondary in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting former Arizona and Washington 6-foot-4 cornerback Tacario Davis 72nd overall. Davis played his first three collegiate seasons with the Wildcats and the final season with the Huskies, totaling 95 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and 25 pass breakups across 37 games with 29 starts. He had a solid senior year, recording 19 tackles, one TFL, a career high two interceptions, along with three pass breakups across seven games, having missed three with a rib injury and an additional three with a hamstring issue.
Davis will compete for the No. 3 outside cornerback/top backup role against Josh Newton, DJ Ivey, and Ja’Sir Taylor to replace Cam Taylor-Britt.
Cincinnati Bengals ink a 6-foot-4 cornerback
Cincinnati Bengals, Tacario Davis
Cincinnati Bengals third-round pick Tacario Davis speaks with media during the 2026 NFL Draft, Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati.
According to Logan Ulrich ofNFL Trade Rumors, the Bengals have signed Tacario Davis to a four-year rookie contract. The deal is worth $7.236 million with a $1.722 million signing bonus. In addition, Davis could earn more money in Year 4 from Proven Performance Escalators if he averages 35% or more of snaps through the first three seasons or makes a Pro Bowl on the original ballot.
Lance Zierlein
Mar 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NFL Network Draft media analyst Lance Zierlein during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
“Davis is more disruptive than productive with size, length and strength to reroute releases from press. He slams catch windows closed when he’s in the neighborhood. While his physical traits make a wideout’s job tougher, their route-running prowess can do the same to Davis.
“He’s average matching breaks and more complicated routes tend to shake him. His long arms help him defend throws from deep zone and make tackles in the open field. An NFL staff should be able to coax more consistent run support from him. He’ll be tagged as a zone corner, but his eyes and range could earn him free safety consideration.”
He projects as a good backup with the potential to develop into a starter.