Demario Davis turning into premier defensive player

Although 2017 has been an up-and-down season for the New York Jets thus far, there are indeed some positives to take away from how the team has played, and one of those positives comes in the form of 28-year-old linebacker Demario Davis.

Standing 6’2” tall and weighing in at 242 pounds, linebacker Demario Davis, who spent his collegiate career playing at Arkansas State, was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. After being drafted, Davis was held in high regard by then head coach Rex Ryan, and his first four seasons with the team went well.

Between 2012 and 2015, Davis played solid each season, but his strongest season came in 2015 when he recorded 79 total tackles and 116 combined tackles, establishing himself as a well-versed defensive player. At times, however, it seemed as if he was somewhat overshadowed by other Jets defenders such as David Harris, who was once the team’s top linebacker, Darrelle Revis, who returned to the team in 2015, and Muhammad Wilkerson, who was emerging as a star during that time period as well.

In 2016, Davis signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Browns, tallying 59 total tackles and 99 combined tackles in that season. On June 1, 2017, however, he was traded back to the Jets, and since then, it’s become increasingly clear that he’s developing into a premier defensive player.

With Harris and Revis no longer with the organization, and Wilkerson seeming to have a down year, Davis has emerged as the team’s top defensive player, leading the Jets in both total tackles, with 60 thus far, and in combined tackles, with 82 thus far. He also leads the team with 3.5 sacks.