With the pick the Jets acquired in the Leonard Williams trade, Joe Douglas went the unconventional route.

Douglas took Cal defensive back Ashtyn Davis, a player who had not been linked to the Jets primarily because he played safety in college. However, the Jets seem to be infatuated with his positional versatility and had several teams kicking themselves when they stole him with the 68th pick.

With that said, let’s get to know the Jets’ newest member of the secondary. Here are five things to know about Davis.

Betting on Himself

From college walk-on to third-round pick, Ashtyn Davis’ NFL dreams became a reality when the Jets selected him with the 68th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Davis was set to go to the University of Redlands following his senior year of high school but changed his mind following a last-minute visit to Cal. The problem? Cal’s football coaches had no idea who Davis was. Even worse, Cal’s track coaches said they’d rescind their scholarship offer if Davis played football. This led to Davis ultimately turning down a track scholarship offer from Cal, which forced his parents to take out loans to pay for his college tuition.

Eventually, Davis made both teams and wound up being put on a full football scholarship by Cal.