Tag: Shawn Davis

Colts’ 2021 training camp preview: Safety

Previewing the safety position ahead of Colts training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts will officially begin training camp next week as they prepare for the arrival of the 2021 regular season.

As the defense looks to make a leap into one of the premier units across the league, the safety room will be led by a duo of young playmakers who could be manning their positions for years to come.

There have been some slight additions to the room during the offseason, including a signing of a veteran and the selection of a rookie in the draft.

Here’s our preview for the safety position entering training camp:

Rookie impact meter for Colts’ 2021 draft picks

How impactful can the rookie class be?

The Indianapolis Colts came out of the 2021 NFL draft with seven selections and several high-upside prospects that have been adding to the roster in hopes of making an impact.

Some of these picks will make an impact quicker than others. Some may not even make an impact at all. It takes time for rookies to develop into clear starting roles if they ever get to that point, but some have quicker paths than others.

Using a 1-5 scale for predicting the impact for draft picks from the 2021 class, here’s how it will break down:

  • 5: Full-time starter
  • 4: Heavily in rotation, seeing large chunk of snaps
  • 3: Rotational/depth player
  • 2: Mostly special teams with limited or no snaps at position
  • 1: Little to no impact or practice squad

Here’s a look at how much of an impact these rookies should be considered to make in 2021:

Colts sign 5 draft picks to rookie contracts

Colts sign five of their seven draft picks.

The Indianapolis Colts signed five of their seven selections from the 2021 NFL draft to rookie contracts, the team announced Thursday.

Among those rookies that signed include defensive end Kwity Paye, defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, safety Shawn Davis, wide receiver Mike Strachan and offensive lineman Will Fries.

Paye is the first first-round pick to sign his rookie contract from the 2021 NFL draft.

The Colts rarely have any rookies hold out of their contracts and if there are any hold-ups, it’s typically due to the language of the contract.

The other two rookies who have yet to sign their rookie contracts are fourth-round tight end Kylen Granson and sixth-round quarterback Sam Ehlinger.

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Grading all 7 picks in the Colts’ 2021 draft class

Grading the draft class.

The Indianapolis Colts concluded the 2021 NFL draft with seven picks by the end of the weekend, hoping to find some new impact players on both sides of the ball.

We will just get this out of the way. Draft grades are as useless The Vision was in “Avengers: Infinity War.”

They don’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things and because these players haven’t even stepped on an NFL field yet, it’s all projection. On top of that, it’s subjective to the writer based on their views of the value relative to team needs and how they felt about other prospects on the board.

But with that said, here’s how we graded the Colts’ draft class in 2021:

A look at the winners and losers among former Gators in the 2021 NFL draft

For some former Florida football players, the draft couldn’t have gone better. But for others, it was a very disappointing affair.

The 2021 NFL draft is fully in the books, and the months of reading mock drafts and attempting to predict the whims of fickle talent evaluators and executives have finally reached their close.

When the dust settled, Florida had eight players selected in the draft (its most since 2016). For some former UF athletes, the draft couldn’t have gone better. But for others, it was a major disappointment.

Let’s make something very clear right here: There is no one who woke up this morning on an NFL roster that is a “loser.” Whether you were an undrafted signing, a late-round pick or the first-overall pick, you’ve joined one of the most exclusive clubs on the planet.

But there’s more to the draft than just good feelings and the culmination of years of hard work. There’s a good amount of strategy and game theory involved, as well, and sometimes betting on yourself doesn’t pay off.

With that in mind, here are the winners and losers from the draft for Florida.

Introducing the Indianapolis Colts’ 2021 NFL draft class

Say hello to the 2021 class.

The Indianapolis Colts have concluded the 2021 NFL draft, adding seven new players to the roster over the weekend.

From edge rusher Kwity Paye to offensive tackle Will Fries, here’s a look at the Colts’ 2021 draft class:

Twitter reacts to Colts drafting S Shawn Davis

How did Twitter react to the Colts’ pick of Shawn Davis?

The Indianapolis Colts continued their trend of taking defensive players in the fifth round when they selected S Shawn Davis out of Florida in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Colts made some big moves to draft edge rusher Kwity Paye and defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo to start off. On Day 3, they added tight end Kylen Granson out of SMU as their first offensive pick of the draft and now went back to the defensive side of the ball.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the selection of Davis:

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Here’s where each former Gator lands in CBS Sports’ seven-round mock

Florida hasn’t had an offensive skill position player drafted in the first round since Tebow in 2010 but that’s likely to change this year.

After only having five players drafted in 2019 (and no first-round picks for the first time since 2012), the Gators had seven players selected in last year’s draft, including cornerback C.J. Henderson, who went in the top 10.

UF’s 8-4 record in 2020 can be a bit deceiving, as it took a major leap forward on offense despite closing the season on a three-game losing streak. Florida was very productive this season, as quarterback Kyle Trask had a record-setting season, in large part thanks to the play of his supporting cast like tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Kadarius Toney.

Some of the stars from that team are projected to go early in this month’s NFL draft. Florida hasn’t had an offensive skill position player drafted in the first round since Tim Tebow in 2010, but that seems bound to change this year. Here’s where each Florida prospect lands in the CBS Sports seven-round mock draft, which has the team matching its seven players drafted from last year.

Safety Shawn Davis injured on Florida’s NFL pro day

It was a scary scene during Florida’s pro day as safety Shawn Davis exited the field with an injury suffered while running the 40-yard dash.

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It was a scary scene on Wednesday during Florida’s pro day, as safety Shawn Davis exited the field with an apparent injury suffered while running the 40-yard dash. Davis fell during his run and limped off the field. According to the SEC Network’s Chris Doering, he injured his hamstring and did not take part in the defensive back drills in the afternoon.

Injuries are nothing new for him, as he saw much of his collegiate career limited by injuries. Davis missed the first month of the 2018 season with an injury, and after deciding to return to UF for his senior season in 2020, he only appeared in seven games and missed five.

Though Davis has some injury concerns, his versatility as a coverage safety makes him an intriguing mid-to-late-round prospect. Despite the limited action this season, he still managed 40 tackles (two for loss) with two interceptions.

Hopefully for Davis’ sake, that injury doesn’t limit him in the long-term.

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Look at these notable former Florida Gators ahead of pro day 2021

Here’s a look at six former Florida Gators expected to participate in this year’s college pro day ahead of the 2021 NFL draft. 

Football season is well in the rearview mirror as spring quickly approaches, which means that all eyes are on the next big date on the calendar: the 2021 NFL draft starting on Thursday, April 29. But before then, there is one particular event for collegiate gridiron giants looking to make the jump into the professional ranks that the entire sport is focused on.

Ahead of the draft, players will hold a pro day with their respective schools to show off their tools and talents to NFL evaluators and scouts. Mind you, this year’s activities will look quite a bit different due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, especially considering the cancelation of the 2021 NFL scouting combine which had previously been held uninterrupted since 1987.

The limitations placed on the players and organizations by COVID-19 makes these pro days that much more important. The University of Florida will be holding its pro day on Wednesday, March 31, including six notable names from last season’s South Eastern Conference East Division champion team.

Below are six former Florida Gators expected to participate in this year’s college pro day ahead of the 2021 NFL draft. Each entry includes the player’s stats, basic demographics and a link to their 2020 Gators Wire player profile card.