Most corners take some time to make an impact early in their career, but not Davis. He stepped onto the field as a true freshman, and was the talk of the Big 10 in 2006. He was a Freshman All American after finishing the season with 52 tackles, 2.5 for loss, and an interception. As a sophomore, he developed into one of the best corners in the nation. He had 76 tackles, four for loss, and four interceptions on the year. He also returned a punt for a touchdown. Davis had a career high 78 tackles, with seven for loss this year to go along with two interceptions.
Strengths
Davis has the look of a true shutdown corner. He is an excellent athlete, with very good speed and has the ability to mirror receivers down the field. He also has a solid build, is tough, and very aggressive on the field. He is an all around corner that will not back down from any challenge, and usually comes out on top when he is issued one. Along with the talent and mentality of a shut down corner, Davis has the ball skills and awareness to be a playmaker as well. He even has some special teams experience, returning a punt for a touchdown last year.
Weaknesses
Davis really does have it all as a corner, but he will need to become more disciplined as a corner. He can be too aggressive at times, and will bait the receiver to try and make a big play. His talent is enough to recover in situations where he makes a mistake in college, but he will not be able to do that in the NFL.
Future
Davis has as much potential as any corner in the draft. He may not have as much polish as Malcolm Jenkins but he may be more physically gifted. As expected, he was very impressive at the combine and at the Illinois pro day. In Indy, he ran a 4.49 40 at a chiseled 203lbs, and led all corners with 25 reps on the bench press. He improved his 40 time to 4.4 at his pro day, and was very fluid throughout both events in position drills. Davis will be a first round pick, and could be a big time NFL corner.