5 things to know about second-round pick DJ Turner II

With their second-round pick, the Cincinnati Bengals added a cornerback for the second-straight year after adding Cam Taylor-Britt in the 2022 class.

After a solid rookie season, the Bengals have to hope that Turner ends up doing just as well as the cornerback drafted the year before him. Hopefully, though, he isn’t forced to take over a starting role, with Chidobe Awuzie coming off an ACL tear, but anything is possible. Turner will have to compete against recent addition Sidney Jones for that spot if Awuzie isn’t ready in week 1, but he’s used to competing.

Let’s take a look at five things to know about Turner.

1. He was the fastest player at the 2023 NFL Combine

With a time of 4.26, Turner was the fastest player at this year’s Combine, showing off rare speed that will pair well with Taylor-Britt, who ran a 4.38, and Dax Hill (the Bengals’ first round pick from 2022), who also ran a 4.38. The Bengals’ secondary is very quickly becoming scary fast.

2. It took him a couple of years to get starter snaps at Michigan

Turner dealt with injuries his first year at Michigan which put him in a bit of a hole starting out. The following year he was able to play a bit more, but almost all of his snaps were on special teams. It wasn’t until his third year that he really got defensive play, and he became a full-time starter at cornerback. He started off very well, but it wasn’t until 2022 that he was able to start every game and show what he could really do. In his first year with the Bengals, Turner will probably end up playing a good amount of special teams and not much defense.

3. He is one month younger than Daxton Hill

Turner is joining the Bengals a full year after Hill did, but in spite of that, he is a month younger than Hill. They were actually recruited in the same defensive class to Michigan. However, Turner was a three-star recruit and ranked 409th overall by 247, while Hill was a five-star recruit ranked seventh overall by 247. Now, they both are on the Bengals and should get a chance to make their mark in the NFL. Just goes to show that sometimes people can take different paths and still end up approaching their goals.

4. He has already met another one of his new Bengals teammates a long time ago

Found by Paul Dehner Jr. of the Athletic with photographic proof, Myles Murphy, the Bengals’ first-round pick, met Turner when they were children. It is not surprising, as they grew up within an hour of each other in the Atlanta area. With multiple Michigan teammates and Murphy on the Bengals, Turner already had quite a few familiar faces even before he had taken a step inside the building.

5. He has an awesome first name

Named for his father (hence being the second), DJ Turner's full first name is JuanDrago. An insanely cool first name and pairs great with Turner as JuanDrago Turner. A great addition to the team already.