Cody Davis
2017 (2 starts): 22 tackles (15 solo), 4 passes defended, 1 interception. 2017 Cap Hit: $1.8m
Cody Davis has largely been known as a special teams contributor during his five seasons with the Rams but was asked to step in for Lamarcus Joyner when he got hurt last season and performed well enough that teams might now view him as a dark horse to come in and win a starting job elsewhere in the league this offseason.
In contrast to Branch, Davis was used more frequently as a deep safety compared to in the box, but did show the ability to play in this way if asked to. While he was usually used as a backside defender, he showed the same gap-discipline and open-field tackling that Branch is so good at (for reference, Davis wears #38):
What’s more, he also shows the ability to pursue to the ball from the backside to prevent bigger plays:
The Rams even occasionally used Davis as a blitzer in the run game. On the next play, he shows both the athleticism to get into the backfield quickly and the solid tackling to bring the running back down from a loss:
When playing his more natural deep safety role, Davis is extremely impressive against the run; while he isn’t blowing up run plays in the backfield, he demonstrates both the speed and discipline to pursue to the ball effectively and the good tackling technique to wrap-up ball carriers:
This tackling technique shows up again in the short passing game, as Davis very rarely misses tackles and, in the second play, is able to prevent the touchdown due to an effective goal-line tackle:
In coverage, Davis was largely used as a deep zone defender, similar to how Coleman was used in 2015, and while he wasn’t targeted much in his two starts, he showed a promising combination of speed and awareness; on this next play, Davis sits on the underneath route knowing he has help over the top, and is able to break on the outside route to prevent the completion:
In addition, Davis also shows the ability to create turnovers in the passing game. On the next play, Davis initially takes away the deep middle before recognizing the outside route and breaking outside to pick the ball off:
It’s hard to judge just how effective Davis is in this regard due to very small sample sizes, but in just five starts over the past two seasons, he has managed seven passes defended and two interceptions. Additionally, while he wasn’t used extensively in man coverage, he did show some ability here as well. On the following play, lined up against Jimmy Graham, Davis is able to hold inside before the break and then, recognizing the inside route, maintains inside leverage and forces an errant throw outside in order to prevent a potential interception should the pass have been throw on the inside shoulder as usual:
While it is hard to make definitive statements based on his two starts in 2017, this shows not only the athletic skills to cover in space, but also the understanding of route concepts and nose for the ball that could allow him to become a good cover safety down the line.
As with Kurt Coleman in 2015, Davis is somewhat of a risky signing in that he has not been an established starter elsewhere and there is only a limited amount of tape available, but based on what he showed last season, Davis offers the solid run defense and flashes of coverage ability that could allow for a pleasant surprise for whomever ends up signing him.
Next Up: Marcus Gilchrist, Houston Texans
