April 5, 2018
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Former Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis is currently preparing for the NFL draft later this month. After a junior season in which he earned first-team All-America honors (SI) and was voted first-team All-SEC by the coaches, he opted to leave school a year early to pursue his dreams at the next level.
Fellow cornerback Javaris Davis didn't receive the same notoriety that Carlton received nationally this past season, but that doesn't mean he was overlooked.
"I don't know who overlooked him in our room," Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said last week. "He can run real, real fast. He's a good technician. He's a tough guy. He's really smart. And having multiple uses -- he can play Nickel or Star and play corner.
"I don't really understand the overlook concept because it takes two corners and if I'm playing (one) and Carlton is playing the other, there's a major issue. If you have one good player on one side and a really good player on the other, one may get more attention but, hey, who knows, that might be because they don't want to throw at him."
Carlton will certainly be missed by his teammates, but there is plenty of talent returning at the cornerback spot on this Auburn roster. Javaris (84.6) and Jamel Dean (87.2) earned the highest grades from Pro Football Focus of any player on the defense this past season, and the coaching staff trusted true freshman Jordyn Peters enough to throw him out there in key situations against Alabama and Georgia down the stretch.
There are also a number of guys making strides this spring including John Broussard Jr., Traivon Leonard, true freshman Christian Tutt and Noah Igbinoghene - a converted wide receiver who is seeing time at cornerback this spring.
Now a junior, Javaris is just getting used to being the old man in the room now.
"It came fast," he said. "That's all I can say. But I feel like I'm ready for the task. I just have to continue to work hard and let others feed off me.
"Obviously, losing Carlton is very big. He's a great player. But we also know that other people have to step up, and that's all we're trying to do -- get some younger guys to step up and contribute fast. I'm just trying to be that leader that everybody wants me to be. That's what I've been working on and preaching to the young guys. They're going to have to play, so I'm just trying to get them prepared for this upcoming season."
At 5-foot-10, 186 pounds, Javaris is not going to be Carlton (6-1, 203). He doesn't have the length, and he's simply a different player. But he wants to prove this season that he still belongs in the same conversation with players like Carlton. He wants to prove that he, too, is an NFL-caliber player.
"I know I have a lot more to show and give to my team," Javaris said. "I just want to show that I am up there with the best of the best, and not just from playing. I have great character, and I just want to show that I'm a great teammate."
Javaris and the rest of the Auburn defense will take the field Saturday for A-Day (3 p.m., CT).
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf