There is a ton of hype around Cincinnati Bengals second-round pick DJ Turner, given his stunning testing numbers and overall fit with the team.
Adding to that hype is the well-established trend of the Bengals getting stellar defensive backs out of Michigan over the years.
The first to come to mind, of course, is modern Bengals great Leon Hall. And it’s Hall who just happened to reach out to Turner personally after the Bengals picked him, as captured by Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:
“He told me congratulations and just let me know when you get in town. Stuff like that,” said Turner who has heard about Hall.
“I heard about his game,” said Turner, who also prides himself on playing both the slot and outside. “That’s how I heard about him. How he could do both.”
Turner joins former Wolverines teammate Dax Hill — the team’s first-rounder last year — as the new long-term leader in the defensive backfield. It’s a group defined by its raw athleticism and versatility, giving defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo options the same way Mike Zimmer had options with Hall’s group all those years ago.
If the success is anywhere near the same level, Hill and Turner won’t take long to establish themselves as the latest Hall-styled standouts in Cincinnati.
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Story originally appeared on Bengals Wire