Jalen Davis Facing Most Pressure in Bengals Slot Corner Competition

The Bengals currently have a trio of players competing to be the teams starting slot corner.

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Jalen Davis (35) hypes up the crowd after a kick off in the second quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Training Camp officially kicks off for the Bengals later this month, where the competition at the nickel corner spot will be closely monitored by media members and fans alike.

Dax Hill and Jalen Davis were the primary players at the position last season; the former flashed elite-level play at outside corner after the latter was elevated from the practice squad to play inside and did so at a solid level from Week 12 onward.

With Hill likely shifting to a full-time role at boundary corner following his stellar play at the position, Zac Taylor and Al Golden decided it was best to add a veteran corner in Ja'Sir Taylor to compete with Davis for the starting slot corner spot. Second-year player Bralyn Lux is also emerging as a competitor in the room.

This Could Be Jalen Davis' Last Chance

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Jalen Davis (35) runs with the ball after catching a pass during an interception drill at Bengals spring practice at the IEL Indoor Facility in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Taylor and Lux both present strong competition for Davis entering training camp, considering Davis is entering his age 30 season and only began starting games last season.

Both of his competitors remain under 28 years old and could prove to have a higher ceiling than what we have seen from Davis up to this point.

The 30-year-old's age could also be an advantage, as Davis' ability as a leader on defense has earned the trust of the Bengals coaching staff, something defensive coordinator Al Golden confirmed during a recent interview with Dan Hoard.

“He gives me so much confidence on defense as a play caller because I know that he’s always going to right the ship,” Golden said recently. “He’s always going to communicate where he’s lined up and what we need to get done.”

Hoard also noted during OTA's in June that Davis is a strong candidate to be the top corner this year, considering his strong finish to last season.

Among his 184 snaps at slot corner last year, Davis finished with one interception, a forced fumble, and a passer rating of 74.3 allowed, resulting in a 65.5 overall grade on Pro Football Focus. For comparison to his competition, Ja'Sir Taylor's best play came during the 2024 season with the Chargers where he gathered 311 total slot corner snaps and a PFF grade of 56.7 overall, and Bralyn Lux has yet to accrue any meaningful playing time during his young career.

Davis should be the favorite for the slot corner role with the questions that both Taylor and Lux carry at this point, though even if he does win the starting job at slot corner, it is fair to wonder if the Bengals should look for an upgrade at the position in the form of a free agent or trade.

3. Jalen Davis will go to training camp as a strong candidate to be the #1 slot corner after his strong finish last season.
“He gives me so much confidence on defense as a play-caller because I know that he’s always going to right the ship,” said Al Golden. “He’s always going to… pic.twitter.com/QPO5v3sj9M

— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) June 18, 2026

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