In his six-year run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carlton Davis III built a reputation for being one of the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL.
Years after helping the Bucs win Super Bowl LV, Davis has now been shipped to the Detroit Lions. Today we break down the trade of the lockdown corner, and who came away with the better deal.
Carlton Davis III Trade Details
Tampa Bay moved Davis on March 13th, 2024 primarily due to a need for cap space to retain key offensive players like Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans.
Here are the full details of the trade:
The Bucs received:
- 2024 third-round pick (WR Jalen McMillan)
The Lions received:
- CB, Carlton Davis
- 2024 sixth-round pick (ended up being used in a trade up for RB Sione Vaki)
- 2025 sixth-round pick
Players Involved in the Davis Trade
No other veteran players were moved as part of the Davis trade, but his departure opened the door for the Buccaneers to keep multiple key players on their roster.
With the pending free-agent departures of safety Antoine Winfield, Mayfield, and Evans, Tampa Bay needed to create cap space they successfully did with the Davis trade. Winfield, Mayfield, and Evans all agreed to long-term deals after the trade was made.
Drafting Jalen McMillan out of Washington will allow Tampa Bay to have a strong core of receivers as Evans and Chris Godwin get older.
On Detroit’s side, its run to the NFC Championship Game was easily among the best stretches in franchise history, but their poor pass defense sunk them in a 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Detroit fielded the 27th-worst pass defense in the league in 2023 – something they drastically hoped to change with Davis, and first-round rookie Terrion Arnold.
Along the way, Detroit was able to add a running back to their roster with the trade to move into the fourth round for running back Sione Vaki.
Who Won the Davis Trade?
Tampa Bay fell to the Lions 31-23 in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs just last season. As good as the Bucs’ season was, they are going to be competing in a crowded NFC room for the next few years.
Giving away a top player to a fellow postseason contender isn’t exactly the best move, even if McMillan impresses early in his NFL career.
For the Lions, this deal was a no-brainer.
Detroit’s run defense was among the best in the NFL last season to go with their elite offense. If the Lions can shore up their secondary, they are a viable Super Bowl contender.
That’s where Davis comes in. So long as the Auburn product shows something similar to what he did in Tampa, the Lions should be expected to improve on their 12-win season, and potentially secure the organization’s first Super Bowl ever.
Detroit is the early winner here.