Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis III is off to a rough start in his new home with the Detroit Lions, and Bucs fans don’t seem surprised by it.
After spending his first six years in Tampa, general manager Jason Licht decided it was time to move on from Davis, and sent him along with two sixth-round picks (2024 and 2025) to the Lions in exchange for a third-round pick. During his tenure with the Bucs, Davis showed flashes of being a quality starter- when healthy. The oft-injured cornerback has yet to log a full 17 (or 16) game season, seeing action in 14 games in 2019 and 2020 being his healthiest seasons.
Davis only has nine career interceptions and is routinely in the Top 10 in terms of yards allowed, and that is not even playing in a full-season slate. The slow start for the seven-year veteran in Detroit is proving more of the same, which is why Licht and the Bucs were okay transitioning away from Davis, his $14.5M contract, and added two draft picks along with him.
Through three games, Davis has allowed 224 receiving yards on 18 receptions, the most among CBs in the NFL. Those numbers also come with a 136.2 allowed QB passer rating, which is the seventh-highest. The kicker is that he is not seeing as many snaps defending opposing top wide receivers for the Lions, who rookie Terrion Arnold is currently leading.
Carlton Davis III is allowing a 136.2 passer rating this season, the 7th-highest in the NFL, and has given up the most yards (224) among CB’s with a minimum of 80 coverage snaps.
Matchups so far ⬇️⬇️
Michael Wilson – 3/3 – 36 YDS
Marvin Harrison Jr. – 2/2 – 17 YDS – 1 TDChris… pic.twitter.com/VCi1POCkIS
— Danny Bennett (@RealDannyB) September 23, 2024
It’s safe to say that with the emergence of Zyon McCollum, Licht made yet another solid roster move for his team. McCollum has only allowed four receptions on 12 targets for 52 yards, matching up against WRs like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Courtland Sutton.