The first day of the NFL’s negotiating window was a busy one for the New England Patriots. Among the action in remodeling their defense included the signing of cornerback Carlton Davis. The 28-year-old had a bounce-back year in Detroit, where he was coached by a staff also featuring new Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.
With that all said, let’s take a closer look at Davis and what he may bring to the table in New England.
Hard facts
Name: Carlton Davis
Position: Cornerback
Opening day age: 28 (12/31/1996)
Size: 6-foot-1, 206 pounds
Contract status: 3 years, $60 million, $34.5 million guaranteed
Experience
After flipping his commitment from Ohio State to Auburn, Davis was a true freshman starter for the Tigers in 2017. Following his junior year, Davis passed by his final year of eligibility to enter the 2018 NFL Draft where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the second-round.
Davis earned a starting spot at corner during training camp of his rookie year and went on to start 12 games for Tampa Bay. As the Bucs made a coaching change the following year, the new staff stuck with Davis along the outside. Appearing in 14 games, Davis recorded a career-high 19 pass deflections while also recording his first interception in a win over the Falcons.
The ball production carried over to the 2020 season as Davis set a career-high with four interceptions to go along with 18 more deflections. Making the playoffs for the first time in his career, Davis was a key part of the Bucs’ run with Tom Brady to win Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs.
After another season as the Bucs’ No. 1 corner, Tampa re-signed Davis to a three–year, $44.50 million contract extension that included $30 million guaranteed. Davis went on to start 25 games for the Bucs over the next two years before he was traded last offseason to the Detroit Lions.
2024 review
Stats: 13 games (13 starts) | 697 defensive snaps (83 percent) | 72 targets, 43 receptions (59.7%), 583 yards (13. YPA), 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 11 PBUs
Upon joining Detroit, Davis signed a one–year, $14.50 reworked million contract as the Lions hoped his veteran presence would improve their secondary along with first-round draft choice Terrion Arnold.
Despite playing along the outside in a challenging man-heavy system, Davis did just that as he had a strong bounce back year for the Lions. The veteran recorded 11 pass breakups and recorded a pair of interceptions — both coming in a thrilling Week 10 Sunday Night victory over the Houston Texans.
Davis’ season ended over a month later, however, as he underwent surgery on a broken jaw suffered on a tackle vs. the Buffalo Bills. It was one of many injuries suffered by Lions’ defenders which helped lead to their eventual loss in the NFC Divisional Round.
Patriots preview
What will be his role? With Christian Gonzalez locked into CB1 duties, New England now has a strong complement to their young superstar on the opposite side in Davis. As Davis follows defensive coordinator Terrell Williams from Detroit to New England, the hope is the high rate of man coverage follows next.
What is his growth potential? At 28 years old, Davis is likely what he is at this point. With Gonzalez, however, New England does not need Davis to be anything else. If he can continue to hold up in coverage while the ball production reminds, he will be a perfect match. The main area New England would love to see improvement is in the health department as Davis has never played more than 14 games in a season in his career.
Does he have positional versatility? Davis has primarily played along the outside during his seven years in the league but has the versatility to move around the formation and contribute in multiple ways.
What does it mean for New England’s salary cap? By base AAV, Davis is the second-biggest contract New England signed on Monday trailing just defensive tackle Milton Williams. While the exact affect on the salary cap is unknown until full terms of the deal is removed, Davis should count for a good chunk against the cap in 2025.
What does it mean for New England’s draft outlook? Outside of the two-way player Travis Hunter, New England was not expected to target a cornerback high in the draft which likely remains the case. However, they still could target additional depth — due to Davis’ injury history — or a new nickel option in the mid-rounds.
How safe is his roster spot? Signing a three-year, $60 million deal, Davis should be locked in to the roster this upcoming season. The full details of his contract will reveal whether or not he should feel as safe entering year two.
One-sentence verdict: Davis may be penciled in to missing a game or two due to injury, but he is a high-end No. 2 cornerback with a perfect profile to play off of Christian Gonzalez.
