The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

Player Profile - 4.4.09

Pros: Davis plays corner with the body of a power running back and the speed of a scat back. He shows unbelievable quickness filling on runs and has great recovery speed. He is a tough physical player that never shies away from a big hit opportunity. The DC Native plays the game with good leverage and turns smoothly with no loss of speed. Davis is very hard for receivers to block—he could be the most physically gifted player in the entire cornerback class. Durability is a plus, as he did not miss time due to injury throughout his three-year career.

Cons: Despite his exceptional talent, Davis is not a huge playmaker. If he were the playmaker Alphonso Smith, Macho Harris or DJ Moore was, he would be a top-five overall pick. In addition, he makes too many mental mistakes. Davis often jumps short routes and flies up on play action, giving up plays over the top. He does not play with a good knowledge of the game and is often overconfident in his ability. He looks stiff at times and needs to learn to accept advice from the coaching staff. We did not see the progress one would hope to see from his sophomore to junior seasons, particularly for a player who decided to forgo his final season of college football. Was called out because of his underachieving junior campaign.

Scouts Take: Vontae Davis is like his older brother (Vernon Davis) in both good and bad ways. Both are unbelievable athletes that make the game look extremely easy at times. With great strength and speed, both can overmatch most of their opponents. Unfortunately, both have relied on their natural ability too often—that works at the high school level and to some extent even college, but now they must learn to take direction and stick to their responsibilities or they will be nothing more than average players, with physical tools most players only dream of. The former Fighting Illini flashed his unbelievable speed in the 2007 Rose Bowl—he was a good 10 to 15 yards behind the speedy USC tailback Joe McKnight when McKnight broke free on a screen. It looked like an easy USC touchdown, but Davis flew into the picture and snatched McKnight down. The play still resulted in a huge gain but it showed that Davis has the ability to make plays no one else on the field can make. When focused and driven, the sky is the limit for the Illinois’ product. There is no question the physical tools are there, but he must work on the mental part of the game if he wants to be an NFL star. Despite his mental weaknesses at times, Davis will be a first round pick and possibly the first corner off the board. Davis is the definition of a “Boom or Bust” prospect.

CFI: Featured Match-Up: Derrick Williams vs. Vontae Davis - 9.27.08

3.20.09 - Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis made a strong impression on NFL scouts as well as two secondary coaches that attended the projected first-round draft pick’s Pro Day workout, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds and registered a 37 1/2 inch vertical leap as well as a 6.80 time in the three-cone drill. According to Brandt, Davis ran without a shirt and the 5-foot-11, 201-pounder is in great shape. Meanwhile, 260-pound defensive end Will Davis ran a 4.86 and a 4.89 in the 40-yard dash. Plus, he posted a 34-inch vertical leap and a 9-10 broad jump.

Strong and fast with the abilty to lockdown opposing receivers, this kid is the best DB in the draft. Sorry Malcolm Jenkins, I'd take Vontae Davis ahead of you. There have been questions about Davis' attitude, and his brother Vernon hasn't exactly paved a positive road for him, but I want my cornerback to have some attitude. The danger is, of course, that he turns out to be DeAngelo Hall--attitude that outweighs performance--but I'm not worried about that with this Davis.

What really impresses me about Davis, besides his pure athleticism, is his aggressiveness in supporting the run. I love corners who can bang. Sorry, Deion. A case can be made for Jenkins to get a slight nod ahead of Davis due to his instincts and the way his reads defenses. He plays much faster than his 40 speed. The former Buckeye is the better playmaker, even if Davis has the bigger upside. I'd be happy with either one on my team. - All Access Daily Dose: Pro Day Impact & Analysis

2.25.09 - The fastest official time for a cornerback was 4.46 seconds, from Lardarius Webb of Nicholls State. Cornerback Vontae Davis of Illinois ran the 40 in an official time of 4.49 seconds, up significantly from the report that he ran in the mid-4.3s.

Davis' official time really shocks me because I honestly liked how he ran. I thought he displayed a fluid running motion and didn't show any hitches. Davis, who could be the first DB off the board. When they posted his time, I was a bit surprised. Still, that time is better than Jenkins'. Speed isn't everything, but Davis has size and strength to go along with it. - All Access: NFL Daily Dose, February 25, 2009

7.1.08 - The brother of Vernon Davis (TE, San Francisco 49ers), Davis has started every game since coming to Illinois. He earned several Freshman All-American honors in 2006 and was first team All-Big Ten in 2007. At 6-0, 205, Davis has good size, and for the third straight season is among the leading tacklers on the team. But in addition to his tackling prowess, he is also quick enough to be a solid corner as he runs the 40 in the low 4.4 range. Malcolm Jenkins is viewed as the top corner in the upcoming draft, but Davis could very well be the second corner off the board come April.

Photo Credit: Illinois Sports Information