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AFC Notes: Drew Allar, Tacario Davis, Bengals, Browns, Steelers
Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bengals

The Bengals picked up LB Tacario Davis in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Cincinnati CB Daxton Hill said he’s been impressed by Davis’ coverage ability and presence at the line of scrimmage. 

“Fluid in coverage. He brings us a lot at the line of scrimmage with his length,” Hill said, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s site.“You don’t see guys (tall corners) like that nowadays. That was kind of back in the day. His size brings an intimidating presence.”

Fellow Bengals CB Josh Newton has been impressed with how fluid Davis is for his size.

“He’s smooth. And he can move for his size,” he said via the team’s website. “They say big corners can’t move, but he can. I’ve seen some things I like. Now it’s about the line of scrimmage because that’s where we’re going to use him as a big corner.”

Browns

The Browns selected WRs KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston with their first- and second-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cleveland WRs coach Christian Jones said they have high expectations for both players and it’s his duty to bring the best out of them. 

“Expectations are great, but it’s all about the work they put in,” Jones said, via Scott Petrak of BrownsZone. “I think we all expect that from them. That’s the standard we’re going to hold them to, but it’s always up to them on what they’re going to be able to do and what they want to do themselves. So my job is to get the best out of them. That’s my goal for them. And that’s what we’re going to try to achieve. But the onus is always on me to get them there and on them to (do it).”

Jones said Concepcion is showing the “right mindset” in their offseason program and is working on looking the ball all the way into the catch. 

“KC came in with the right mindset,” Jones said. “He was ready to work on what he thought was an issue coming into the draft. What I try to focus on, it probably goes back to something you do in Day 1 when you’re playing receiver is looking the ball into the tuck. A lot of concentration drops come when they catch it, they start looking to see who they got to make miss, where they’re going down the field. And that’s where the ball tends to fall out because on the way to the tuck, they lose sight of it and they lose control of it. Every drill that we have, we try to have some kind of distraction. So as soon as we do that, I think it makes everything a little bit easier for them and you just try to build the routine and turn that into a habit.”

As for Boston, Jones said the rookie is coming into the team with a chip on his shoulder after falling further in the draft than he expected. 

“Denzel wanted to show everybody what he could do,” Jones said. “He was really upset about where the draft landed. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. From the first day we watched him run routes, it was jog-through and I was like, ‘This guy’s got great hips. He knows what to do.’ And he’s really focused on doing that and being good on every aspect of his game, and he knows what his issues are and what to work on. When you’re taller, it’s a lot harder to get into your break. You got a lot more room to get down. So he’s done a good job working on it and understand how to get better at it and he came in having already worked on it himself. So what I love about it is he’s self-led, he wants to get better and he does it himself too. And that makes it a lot easier on me as a coach to supplement his growth.”

Steelers

Steelers rookie QB Drew Allar talked about why QB Aaron Rodgers is the perfect mentor for his development.

“I’m really excited to learn from him,” Allar said, via Steelers Wire. “With him being in Coach McCarthy’s system in Green Bay, it’s beneficial because he knows the system inside and out, even though he hasn’t played in it in five or six years at this point. And just everything he’s going through in his career, playing in tens of thousands of snaps, how much experience and knowledge he has — the nuances of playing the position of quarterback, reading coverages, the defensive tendencies — any little thing I can pick up to help me process faster and be more accurate, I’m all in for it.“

This article first appeared on NFLTradeRumors.co and was syndicated with permission.

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