Vontae Davis Scouting Report

Vontae Davis is the younger brother of San Francisco tight end and former top ten pick, Vernon Davis. Athleticism obviously runs in this family, because both of the Davis brothers are freakishly strong and fast. Vontae is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign that saw him smother even the best receivers the Big Ten has to offer. Davis finished the season with 76 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, 8 passes broken up, and he even blocked 2 kicks on special teams. Other than Malcolm Jenkins, Davis is the best defensive back available in this year's draft. Davis has the potential to put up an untouchable amount of reps on the bench press, and possibly run in the high 4.3 range in the 40. Davis had a down year by his standards, but Illinois' abysmal pass rush didn't make his job any easier. He recorded 78 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 10 passes broken up in coverage, and 3 forced fumbles during the 2008 campaign. During his time at Illinois, Davis has improved drastically. He has gotten to the point where opposing defenses have virtually stopped throwing in his direction; cutting the field in half for offenses. He would be a great fit for an aggressive team because he's an excellent blitzer. Davis is just as comfortable rushing the passer from the corner spot as he is in coverage. Davis is a sure fire first rounder this year, and shouldn't slide past the top 20 for any reason.

Vontae Davis solidified himself as a first round pick at the NFL Combine in February. He was the only one of the top corner prospects to run a sub 4.5 40 yard dash, clocking in at a slightly underwhelming 4.49 seconds. He looked fluid enough during position drills that scouts think he can be an All Pro cover man if he improves his technique. His 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press also encouraged scouts that he has the strength to press even the biggest receivers at the NFL level.

Vontae Davis continues to show the athleticism necessary to be a shutdown corner in the NFL. He lowered his 40 yard dash time to 4.4 seconds at his Pro Day workout. Opinions are mixed on Davis, but he could go anywhere from eighth to somewhere in the twenties depending on how certain teams feel about him.