Upon entering a free agency as league chiefs in the wage ceiling space, the New England Patriots have not lost time to make big investments. Among these were the veteran Carlton Davis cornerback, which signed a $ 54 million contract over three years after previous stays with the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay and the Lions of Detroit.
Now a patriot, Davis projects as a starter and the Batman Robin de All-Pro Gonzalez.
Hard facts
Name: Carlton Davis III
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Position: Corner
Jersey number: 7
Age of opening day: 28 (31/12/1996)
Measures:: 6’1 ”, 206 lbs, 79 3/8” Large, 32 3/4 ”arm length, 8 7/8” Hand size, 4.53s 40 yards, vertical jump 34 ”, Bench jump 10’4”, drill with 3 cone 7.31S, 4.31s Short Shuttle, 16.36 Press Benches Relative Relative Relative
Experience
NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018-23), Detroit Lions (2024), England Patriots (2025-) | College: Auburn (2015-17)
One of the main prospects of the Florida State leaving Miami Norland secondary school, Davis has received scholarship offers from some of the country’s most successful university programs. Even if his hometown of Miami Hurricanes was among them, the recruit of the three stars decided to take his talents to Auburn.
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Davis had an impact at the start of his real first -year campaign, and after three seasons with tigers, 38 appearances at stake and 32 departures on his curriculum vitae. He also recorded three interceptions and forced people to escape each, and was honored as a selection of the dry to his second and third seasons in Auburn. Following his success, he decided to give up his last year and headed for the NFL draft.
The decision borne fruit: Davis heard his name called 63rd in the general classification in the second round of the 2018 draft. He then spent six seasons with the Buccaneers, during which he appeared in 85 combined games in the regular season and in playoffs and helped the team win a Super Bowl. Despite his starter status in Tampa Bay secondary, he was exchanged in Detroit during the 2024 offseason.
In total, Davis started 97 of his 98 career games while intercepting 11 assists, forcing four escapes and recovering six.
Screening report
Forces: Standing at 6 feet 1 inch with a wingspan of 79 3/8 inches and arms of almost 33 inches, Davis offers a huge length in the corner position. This in combination with naturally physical behavior allows him to penetrate quickly and effectively into the melee line. Capable press corner which also has a proven assessment in zone looks, it is able to challenge passers throughout their routes and to the capture point. Its construction allows it to challenge the sockets on the perimeter and in jumping situations.
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Davis is also one of the defenders best run that the corner position has to offer. He attacks downhill with a goal and is capable of fighting the blocks of wide receptor to go to the Balloon Carrier. In general, Davis plays the position with a high level of intensity and boastful: he is a good player as a whole, and will assure you to know it.
Weaknesses: Even if he was the best dog in the cornerback in Tampa and Detroit, Davis does not have the rare athletics of certain other CB1s (like his new teammate Christian Gonzalez). Consequently, he is sensitive to speed and speed if he is unable to put himself in a winning position at the start of the roads and to gain by his physique. This led to large abandoned games as well as penalty problems, including four in a week 4 against DK Metcalf de Seattle last season.
In addition, Davis has suffered injury problems throughout his career. He has not yet played a full season and has missed 28 games combined since entering the League in 2018.
2024 review
Statistics:: 13 games (13 starts) | 697 defensive snaps (59.5%), 7 snaps of special teams (1.4%) | 56 plated, 8 missed plated (12.5%), 1 forced escape, 2 escaped recovery | 72 targets, 43 catches rendered (59.7%), 583 yards, 3 td, 2 ints | 8 penalties (1 lag)
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Seasonal summary: Seeing what had become a standard season for Davis – from the outside, lacking time due to an injury – the Buccaneers decided to put their n ° 1 half half on the commercial block. In March 2024, Davis and a pair of sixth round recovery choice moved to the lions in exchange for a selection of third round later in the spring.
Once in Detroit, Davis immediately took over as the upper area of the team. He occupied this role throughout the season, until he fractures his jaw during week 15 against the Buffalo Bills. The injury ended up costing him the last three games of the regular season as well as the lions defeat in the lions qualifiers against Washington commanders.
Before the ultimately and disappointing end of his season, Davis had played solid football. Although he faced a list of stimulating receptors which included Justin Jefferson, Chris Godwin, Ceedee Lamb, Christian Watson, Cooper Kupp and the aforementioned DK Metcalf, he only gave in 43 catches for 583 yards with 3 affected and a pair of interceptions.
Looking closer to his season, we can see that he started quite slowly in a new system. During the first month of the season, for example, he abandoned 24 receptions on 34 targets for 313 yards and 2 affected and was reported five times – including four times in the aforementioned match with Metcalf de Seattle.
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After the competition of week 5 against the Seahawks, however, Davis began to settle. The rest of the season, the opposing quarters only went 19 out of 38 for 270 yards with 1 td and 2 int when they launched themselves. His smuggling rating went from 118.9 in the first four games to 60.2 in the last nine.
He still had uneven moments in the section – his clashes with Watson by Green Bay were a particular challenge, for example – but he generally held the field once he is found in the heavy defense of Detroit.
In total, the 2024 season was up to Davis. He presented his style of physical play against some of the best football widths and was a CB1 usable for one of the best NFL teams. However, he also ended up missing five games combined due to a knee injury as well as the broken jaw mentioned above.
2025 overview
Position: N ° 2 CORNERBACK | Ability: High quality starter | Contract: Signed until 2027
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What will be his role? Davis spent practically his entire external corner career, and he will continue to play this position under the Patriots defensive coordinator, Terrell Williams (who was with the Lions in 2024). What will change, however, is his place in the hierarchical order: with Christian Gonzalez as an undisputed CB1, Davis will slip into the initial role CB2 in front of him.
What is its growth potential? A veteran of seven seasons of the NFL, Davis is at a time of his career where growth is marginal. That said, a second consecutive season in a heavy defense of man as well as what projects as an easier administer of opponents could lead to improved results at the exit of an already solid 2024 campaign.
Does he have a positional versatility? Davis moved into the slit on occasion and also played a handful of special teams through his career, but his versatility is somewhat limited. In fact, it will be interesting to see how the patriots will opt to use it: with Christian Gonzalez a real n ° 1 in the post capable of traveling with opponents, Davis could be forced a little of his established comfort zone; Since entering the league, he has played 74.4% of his scope snaps (3,888 of 5,225) on the defensive left, including 86.7% last year (510 out of 588). This number decreases in 2025 could very much happen.
What is its salary ceiling situation? As part of the $ 54 million contract over three years which he signed with the Patriots in March, Davis has a salary ceiling of $ 11.7 million this season. This number is made up of $ 10.5 million in complete guarantees – its salary of $ 5 million plus a signing bonus promotion of $ 5.5 million – as well as $ 1.275 million in list bonuses ($ 975,000 of them classified as likely to be won) and a training bonus of $ 225,000.
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How much is his list sure? Having joined the team on a massive free agency contract only two months ago, Davis is a lock to make the list of patriots this season. And not only that: it is a lock in playing a starting role in the defense.
Summary: Even if he was the n ° 1 corner of the Lions last season, and solid to that, Davis could have joined the perfect situation in New England. With Christian Gonzalez in the mixture as a closing corner half, the 28 -year -old will be allowed to slip into what should be a role better suited to his talents: Davis could very well end as one of the best CB2 in the league when everything is said and done.
What do you think of Carlton Davis before the 2025 season? Please go to the comments section to share your reflections.
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