AUBURN, Ala. – Over the last three NFL drafts, Auburn has had four defensive backs taken. There's a chance the Tigers could have four taken in this year's NFL draft alone with Noah Igbinoghene, Javaris Davis, Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson all in contention.
For Davis, he credits the success to the culture and mentality instilled from playing on Auburn's defense.
"Just being on that defense for four years, there's a lot of great talent I've played with," he said. "Guys that are already in the NFL now and ones that are going this year with me. The defensive mentality that we've brought in over the last couple years, that has helped me.
"Coach [Kevin] Steele and our whole defensive staff, they already treat us like pros with that defense at Auburn. It's an NFL defensive mentality. I would say they've helped me the most just by installing that in me, so when I get to the next level, I'll be able to transition easier than a lot of guys from other schools whose coaches don't really put that much on them."
Davis doesn't know when he's going to get drafted, but based on conversations he's had with teams, he believes he will hear his name called at some point in the draft.
From an NFL standpoint, it's hard to ignore somebody with his kind of speed. At the combine in February, Davis ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash – the fastest of all the Auburn players there – and he was disappointed with his time. He believes he would've run an even faster time if not for a nagging injury suffered in pre-combine workouts. Full strength or not, that speed has caught the attention of NFL personnel.
"A lot of teams like me inside in the slot where I can use my instincts, playmaking ability and speed to get closer to the line of scrimmage or stick some of the faster slot receivers in the NFL," Davis said. "That's what a lot of coaches have been telling me.
"I just feel like the part of my game that translates to the NFL from college is my playmaking ability. That's what I tell all the teams. I feel like I'm a playmaker."
NFL Combine
40-yard dash: 4.39 seconds
Bench press: 11 reps
Vertical jump: 35.5 inches
Broad jump: 124.0 inches
"I can tell some running when I know running. He was hittin' it." - @DeionSanders
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) March 1, 2020
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Draft Analysis
"Davis quietly goes about his business on the field and is one of the most dynamic athletes at what is a loaded cornerback class. His positional flexibility (outside or corner) will appeal to most teams, and he truly has the athletic smoothness to slide down into the slot. He mirrors well in man, too. His lack of size leads to him getting out-muscled for the football in jump-ball situations. Landing in Round 3 is not out of the question for Davis. It will be a surprise if he's not picked in the first half of Round 4." – Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
Signature moment
Over the course of his four years at Auburn, Davis hauled in eight interceptions. Only one of those eight, he returned for a touchdown. It was his sophomore year against Mississippi State, and with the Tigers already up 35-10 in the fourth quarter, Davis grabbed a deflected pass and ran it back 37 yards down the sideline, outracing everybody to the endzone. The versatile defensive back, who played in a total of 49 games, finished his career with 150 tackles, eight interceptions, two sacks and 27 passes broken up.