DJ Turner II has been making a case that plenty of people still haven’t fully noticed.
The Bengals cornerback turned in a strong season even as Cincinnati’s defense struggled overall, and his numbers back up the buzz. Turner finished with a 78.1 PFF coverage grade last year, which ranked sixth among 114 qualifying cornerbacks. He also piled up 40 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, while limiting opposing quarterbacks to a 47.6% completion rate.
That production has Turner sitting at the center of a stalled contract situation. He remains under his rookie deal, which runs through the 2026 season and wraps up his four-year rookie contract.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Field Yates made the strongest statement yet about Turner’s place in the league.
“... DJ Turner is the most underrated player in the NFL.
Because we don't talk about them enough. Like it just a criminally under-discussed player who I don't believe has received All-Pro or Pro Bowl accolades up to this point in his career, it's wild to me,” opened ESPN's Field Yates earlier this month.
Yates pointed to the explosion in the cornerback market this offseason, noting the deals for Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, Derek Stingley [Jr], and Pat Surtain II, among others, all landing at “$30 million-plus per year.”
He made the case that Turner belongs in that same lane.
“DJ Turner belongs in that conversation. I mean, that is just ridiculous what he has done. That's a hard assignment.”
“Like, we're not talking about him just holding down big, physical perimeter wide receivers. You've got guys playing in the slot, smaller and twitchier guys, bigger, more physical guys. Shoutout to the most underrated player in the NFL.”
Turner entered the league as the 60th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after his breakout 2021 season at Michigan. His rookie contract with Cincinnati was worth $6.16 million at signing.
So far through the 2026 season, Turner has added 12 tackles and five pass breakups. His current PFF marks include a 62.7 overall grade, a 64.2 pass coverage grade and a 58.6 run-defense grade.
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Bengals Still Have One Receiver Battle That Could Become A Problem
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Meyers had put himself in position to hold that role, but the margin has narrowed as the Bengals continue sorting out who can be trusted for meaningful snaps. Iosivas is in line to re-enter the conversation soon, while Tinsley and Young are pushing for larger roles of their own, leaving Cincinnati with a depth chart question that has not been answered by any official move or trade. For a team with playoff expectations, it is the kind of unresolved receiver battle that can linger until it suddenly matters. [Read more 🡒]