NFL Executives Give Controversial But Fair Ranking for Bengals Star

A nod for his strong play last season.

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II (20), left, and Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle (27), right, walk off the field at the conclusion of an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Bengals won, 17-13. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

DJ Turner II is climbing up the NFL cornerback ranks in recent seasons.

The now-veteran outside cornerback was part of the most recent ranking from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. He put together a top-10 look at the league's best cornerbacks this week with the opinions of NFL executives, coaches, and more.

Rising Talent

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II (20) grabs a water at Bengals practice, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Turner did not make the top 10 or honorable mention list, but he did receive votes in the exercise along with 10 other names to cement him as a top-25 CB talent in the league.

It's a hard list to crack, as this year's list included nine names from last season and Cooper DeJean at No. 10, who made it for the first time. Fowler broke down his process with the ranking.

"Voters gave their own top 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on the number of top-10 votes, composite average, and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as well as ESPN Research. More than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases, all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed contributed to placements," Fowler wrote.

Turner could really pop this fall and at least break into the honorable mention group with another run like he just had in 2025.

The 25-year-old is coming off a 2025 season in which he tallied 18 pass breakups (third in the NFL). It amounted to a career-high 73.3 Pro Football Focus rating on a career-high 974 snaps. Turner is the clear top cover man on the Bengals' roster, and he kept that league-worst defense from being even more embarassing in 2025.

A lot of attention is on his potential contract extension as he enters the final year of his deal, but Turner is focused.

“It’s definitely a good vibe right now,” Turner said earlier this offseason. “We did add a whole bunch of players on our side of the ball, and it’s just exciting, honestly. Everybody wants to win. I was the last one here. This was my second day, and I could tell everybody was just on the same page, wanting to work, wanting to win. That’s what it all comes down to — those two things.”

Check out the full ranking from Fowler here.

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