Maryland Terps defensive back Sean Davis turned heads on the very first play from scrimmage at the Senior Bowl.
Highly-touted North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz dumped the ball off to Buckeyes tight end Nick Vannett in the flat off a play-action call. Before Vannett could turn upfield, Davis sniffed the play out and came flying in to pile-drive Vannett to the ground.
The monster hit was eye-popping.
It was the exact type of play that has defined Davis' collegiate career as a physical tackling machine that loves to engage in contact. Davis amassed 305 tackles over four years, including 115 as a junior to lead all Big Ten defensive backs.
He turned several of those hits into turnovers, ranking second in the nation with five forced fumbles.
The Washington D.C. native touts versatility as both a cornerback and safety after playing both positions during his Maryland career. He made 15 starts at safety during his freshman and sophomore seasons, and then injuries forced Davis to make a pair of starts at cornerback his junior year. He made a full-time switch during his senior campaign, starting all 12 games at corner.
"I'm not a safety playing corner," Davis said. "I can be a corner or safety. I definitely feel like that is something that I bring to the table that other guys don't have."
While Davis believes he could play both positions on the NFL level, he prefers to be at safety. Davis, who is trilingual in English, Chinese and French, possesses the football smarts to guide the defense from the defensive backfield.
His coverage ability is the biggest question mark in his game. That showed at times during the 2015 season, including when he got burned by Bowling Green's Roger Lewis, who caught 15 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns against the Terps.
That problem popped up at Senior Bowl practice last week when Minnesota wide receiver K.J. Maye beat Davis with a double move and scored a deep touchdown.
Overall, however, Davis had a strong week in Mobile and likely didn't hurt his draft stock. CBS Sports pegs him as a projected fifth-round pick.
"My draft stock is definitely rising," Davis said. "I should be one of the top DBs off the board early."
Davis has the size, length and speed that NFL scouts look for in a defensive back, and he showed off a chiseled physique at the Senior Bowl weigh-in, standing in at 6-foot-1, 201 pounds. He is also durable, never missing a game in four years at Maryland.
Davis would obviously be happy to be drafted by any NFL team, but he would love to pull a "Torrey Smith" and be the next Terp that transitions directly to the Ravens.
"Play for the home team? That would be awesome, that would be really awesome," Davis said. "Family could stay close, just like it is now. I'd have a lot of hometown fans from the Terps and from the Ravens."
