In one-on-one drills, practice-squad cornerback Robertson Daniel pressed close to the line of scrimmage. Davis went deep, catching a pass 30 yards downfield.
It looked like a flash of natural, physical ability. It was something more. In his first steps, Davis noticed Daniel was being “patient” with his go-route. Davis took a wide release off the line of scrimmage, avoiding Daniel’s contact.
Unfettered, his speed took over from there.
“He’s really fast,” Daniel said.
He wasn’t getting burned again. Next rep, Daniel backpedaled to guard against the deep ball. Davis sold the go route, avoided Daniel’s jam off the line of scrimmage. With Daniel’s momentum going backward, Davis stopped on a dime.
The football was in his hands when he turned around.
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“That’s route running,” Daniel said, “and understanding who you’re going against. He understands his opponent. Because a lot of guys I go against sometimes just try to swivel their way by me. He was taking a lot of wide releases (to avoid press-man coverage). He was taking wide releases away from my reach out, away from my strike point. Which is really smart.”
That’s something else Davis was in his first NFL practice — quite smart, actually.
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If his speed is the key to unlocking a spot on the 53-man roster, his route-running will determine whether he sees the field.
So near the end of his first practice, after Davis shook Daniel for a wide-open catch underneath, it was worth noting cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr.’s booming reaction.
“That’s a good route!” Whitt shouted. “That’s a good route!”
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