CINCINNATI -- For most of the season, one of the secrets to cornerback DJ Turner II's breakout season could be found in a bag by his locker.
Nestled inside a gray Saint Laurent canvas was a copy of "How to Think Like a Monk," a New York Times best-selling book by Jay Shetty. With a highlighter inside to keep his spot, Turner read through the pages, taking notes of the self-help book aimed at training one's mind for "peace and purpose every day."
Both of those attributes have been very handy this season. After starting this season as a backup, Turner has thrived for Cincinnati's secondary. Leading into Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills (1 p.m. ET, Fox), Turner leads the NFL with 16 pass deflections. Coaches have raved about a player who has played at a Pro Bowl level, if not higher.
But it's the mental clarity for Turner that has made the difference as he has turned into the team's No. 1 cornerback.
"There's so much good stuff in there," Turner said of the book. "The biggest one is just how strong mental strength is. There's so many different paths to do it."
That has been tested over the past couple of years. The 2023 second-round pick started to play well at the end of last season before he suffered a broken clavicle that forced him to miss the final six games of 2024.
At the beginning of this season, Turner was in a competition with Dax Hill, his former teammate at Michigan, and veteran Cam Taylor-Britt to be one of the starting outside cornerbacks. Turner was the odd man out.
That led to a tough conversation with assistant coach Charles Burks. And at that moment, Turner realized he was in control of whether he could maximize his potential and get back on the field.
"To me, as a professional who wants to strive to be something great, once you take that accountability where you understand that your routine, your attention to detail, that empowers the coaching, that empowers everybody and you take the ownership of that and he's taken ownership," Burks said.
Turner was bolstered by a long personal journey to fortify his mental strength.
After each season, Turner likes to take a solo trip to decompress from a long and taxing year. He was on a flight to Tokyo when he watched the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, 2024.
That put him in the proper headspace to tell -- and eventually show -- the coaching staff that he could be a dependable starter.
"If I was mentally weak then, I would not be in the position I'm in right now," Turner said with full conviction.
This year, his Pilates instructor gave him a copy of Shetty's book that drew on his brief stint of training to become a monk. It leaned into an idea that had bounced around Turner's head for a while.
The Georgia native naturally gravitates toward activities that clear and center one's mind. He practices meditation. He uses the Calm app, where Shetty is prominently featured. He keeps a journal.
And over the course of the season, he started to rub off on the rest of the defensive backs. After Burks and Turner talked about a similar self-help book, Turner recommended "Think Like a Monk" to Burks. It's made an impact on the other defensive backs. And it shows just how far Turner has come.
"I've had a lot of really good players in my day, but to see a player make a switch mentally and just lock in like he's done, I don't know if I've ever seen that," Burks said.
The Bengals assistant said Turner is playing at an All-Pro level. In addition to leading the league in pass deflections, Burks noted the limited production from opposing receivers when matched up against Turner.
The advanced analytics bear that out. Since Week 4, Turner is third among all cornerbacks in yards allowed per coverage snap (0.5), according to Next Gen Stats. Teams are completing 41.4% of their passes when Turner is the nearest defender, which is 10.3% lower than the expected model.
Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden noted how much Turner's technique has improved, specifically at the top of the route. But it's the preparation for taking on the other team's top receiver and traveling across the field that has made the biggest impression.
"[He's] really just blocking everything out," Golden said. "He's the same guy every day right now, man. He's got his head down and he's working and there is no finish line for him."
It's why Turner was able to have the kind of performance he did in Cincinnati's first matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After surrendering a big play to wide receiver DK Metcalf early in the game, Turner bounced back and made two plays that led to interceptions, including one where he somehow ripped the ball out of Metcalf's hands.
"As long as you learn from what happens, you're going to be good," Turner said.