Expert Opinion: Carlton Davis’ Profile
The NFL is in the middle of a movement, started by Pete Carrol and the Legion of Boom. This is having a defensive backfield with corners who are tall, long-armed and physical. Davis was a key feature in the Auburn Tigers defensive backfield for the past three seasons. Davis is listed at 6’1’’ and 203 lbs, which fits that mold.
Davis had entered Auburn as a top-25 recruit. He quickly earned a starting spot as a freshman in 2014 and led the team in interceptions with three. He really had a great season and was honored with a Freshman All-SEC selection. After the strong start to his tenure, he only got better when he could stay healthy. Injuries in his sophomore season limited some of his playing time. During this season’s SEC Championship Game, he suffered a concussion causing him to miss the bowl game of his final season. This was after he started in 13 games recording 36 tackles, one interception and 11 pass breakups.
Davis should be able to translate his success at the college level to the pros. He is a tough kid who has lined up at all positions to cover. He has played both corners and lined up in the slot throughout his career. Press coverage is the play style that allows for Davis to play the best. He has very strong hands at the line of scrimmage. This allowed him to throw receivers off their routes and timing early. He pairs that with his physical nature to create the pass breakups.
There are a couple of areas that Davis will need to work on the become the elite lockdown corner. First is his timing to find the ball and getting his head around. There were too many times a comeback or back shoulder throw resulted in a big gain or touchdown. Another would be his ability to create the big turnover. Only one interception in his final season just leaves you wanting more. NFL teams will be looking at impact game changer in the first round.
I believe Davis will go early on day two and be a great fit in a press defense scheme. I think if the Browns were to find him on the board with the 65th pick, he would be hard to pass on. However, I do believe he will find a new home before that pick.
Image: ESPN
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