Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis isn’t going anywhere after agreeing to a contract with Tampa Bay. Now that Tom Brady has officially decided to return, Davis will likely be a key part of another Super Bowl run.
Carlton Davis signs with Tampa Bay
Davis, listed as 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds, was a key part of the Tampa Bay secondary throughout their Super Bowl run. Despite never making the Pro Bowl, Davis was considered a featured player on the open market.
Getting to know Davis
A Miami native, Davis entered the NFL as a second-round pick (63rd overall) of the Buccaneers in 2018. The Auburn alum became a full-time starter early in his rookie season and produced 40 tackles, 4 pass breakups, and a forced fumble during the campaign.
With Todd Bowles leading the defense, Davis became a fixture in the secondary. In his sophomore campaign, he started 14 games and collected 60 tackles, 19 pass breakups, an interception, and a forced fumble. Davis was an important part of the Super Bowl LV squad in 2020. Starting 14 games, he generated 68 tackles, 18 pass breakups, and 4 interceptions.
Last season, Davis continued to ascend as he remained the top cornerback in the Bucs’ secondary. He collected 39 tackles and an interception but only played in 10 games. He played in two games during the playoffs but was still clearly banged-up from a quad injury suffered during the regular season.
Who is still on the market?
Davis was Pro Football Network Lead NFL Analyst Dalton Miller’s seventh overall free agent and second-ranked cornerback on the open market.
With Davis off the board, cornerbacks like Stephon Gilmore of the Carolina Panthers, Casey Hayward Jr. of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Darious Williams of the Los Angeles Rams are still available. All three players rank among Miller’s top 25 available free agents.