Who is Ja'Sir Taylor? Bengals' new defensive back impresses at OTAs
· Yahoo Sports
Defensive back Ja'Sir Taylor was among players generating buzz during the Cincinnati Bengals' organized team activities.
Visit esporist.org for more information.
The Bengals signed the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Taylor in April as an unrestricted free agent to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.
During the team's OTA June 9, Taylor broke up a pass on a deep ball by starting quarterback Joe Burrow.
What to know about Taylor, who has played in 65 regular-season games over four NFL seasons:
Taylor and former Bengal Jessie Bates III were teammates at Wake Forest.
Bates' second (and final) season as a defensive back for the Demon Deacons was 2017, Taylor's first at Wake.
Bates, a second-round pick of the Bengals in the 2018 draft, played five seasons in Cincinnati before leaving for the Atlanta Falcons.
Taylor played DB at Wake for five seasons.
Taylor was a sixth-round draft pick of the Chargers in 2022.
The only player from the Bengals' 2022 draft class who remains with the team is fellow defensive back Dax Hill.
Taylor played in 57 regular-season games and one playoff game for the Chargers before being traded in November 2025 to the New York Jets for a conditional 2028 seventh-round pick.
Taylor played in eight games for the Jets after the trade, which brought Taylor closer to his hometown of Asbury Park, on the Jersey Shore.
Ja'Sir Taylor's career stats include 21 special-teams tackles.
In 65 regular-season games, Taylor has made 12 starts and recorded 76 tackles, with one tackle for loss.
He has 15 passes defended, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Taylor has faced the Bengals once.
The Chargers won Taylor's only game against the Bengals, 34-27, in November 2024.
He defended Tee Higgins, who finished the game with nine catches for 148 yards with a touchdown, on several plays.
Taylor also broke up a deep pass attempt to Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase during the game's fourth quarter.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is Ja'Sir Taylor? Bengals' new defensive back impresses at OTAs