DJ Turner selected by Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft

Michigan cornerback DJ Turner has found his home in the pros with the Cincinnati Bengals selecting him with the No. 60 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Turner, who ran the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash in NFL Combine history (4.26 seconds), was a two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team coaches, third team media in 2022; honorable mention 2021) and appeared in 36 games with 22 starts at cornerback. He was one of the team’s Most Improved Player picks in 2021, in addition to grabbing Defensive Skill Player of the Year from Michigan. Turner had three career interceptions in Ann Arbor and had 20 passes defended over the last two seasons.

“This is a defense that is built around that run front…with great cover corners on the outside,” Joel Klatt said on the NFL Network broadcast. “DJ Turner is one of those guys. I’ll be honest, I thought there were times where he was overshadowed by a true freshman on the field in Will Johnson, who we will talk about in a couple of years. But when you turn on his tape, he is aggressive. He can get a little handsy at times. All of the other coaches in the Big Ten will say, ‘of course, it’s Michigan. He gets away with everything.'”

Daniel Jeremiah chimed in: “He’s got easy speed, though. You see it all over the field.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper: “Now, he had a couple hiccups in coverage — all cornerbacks do — but when you watch him in coverage, he anticipates well, he breaks on the ball, he’s got very good awareness. Jim Harbaugh raved about the kid. He had a big game in the Big Ten championship game against Purdue. Footwork, outstanding. Speed to the football, outstanding. Can make up ground in a hurry. You think about the guy here, as well, will tackle. A willing tackler throughout his career. He showed that. So if DJ Turner, to me, I thought he might run his way into the late first round — the Bengals get him here at the end of round two.”

Speaking with Pro Football Focus during the NFL Combine, Michigan co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale said Turner can be a game changer “with his speed, ability and mind.”

“[Turner] has all the football attributes to be a great player,” Clinkscale said. “Extremely smart player whose best football is ahead of him.”

Here’s what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had to say about Turner as a prospect, rating him as a second-round prospect:

“A two-year starter at Michigan, Turner was a perimeter cornerback in defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s man-heavy scheme, also seeing snaps as a nickel. After playing sparingly his first two seasons in Ann Arbor because of injury and the pandemic, he became a starter in 2021 and totaled 20 passes defended over the past two seasons (All-Big Ten both years). A twitchy and active athlete, Turner has above-average speed and transition quickness to match up with NFL receivers in man coverage.

“He plays a physical brand of football and loves to show off his feistiness, although it can be a detriment at times, leaving him off balance and out of position to make plays on the ball downfield. Overall, Turner’s limited length and play strength are amplified versus bigger targets, but he is smart, explosive and competitive and should continue to ascend in coverage. He doesn’t back down and shows the movement ability and toughness desired at nickel in the NFL.“

Our take on Michigan CB DJ Turner

“Turner feels like one of the higher-floor players at his position in this class,” we wrote recently in Turner’s NFL Draft profile. “Michigan put a lot on his plate and he more than held his own. You might like to see some more ballhawk capabilities, but Turner has the toolkit to be one of the more solid cover cornerbacks in the league. It would not be a surprise to see him plug in and play right away as a rookie starter in the league, but his best fit is probably as a complement to an already-established No. 1.”

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft took place on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 went on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcast throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.