College All-22 Film: 2020 Jets Draft Picks | FS Ashtyn Davis

With Marcus Maye potentially transitioning towards playing SS, can Ashtyn Davis step in and complement Gregg Williams' scheme as a rangy safety? Sam Crnic breaks down Davis' NCAA All-22 Film at Cal. Entering the 2020 offseason, the plan was to make Jamal Adams “a Jet for life.” Having already handed C.J. Mosley a $17 million-per-year contract in 2019, Jamal was destined for a number even greater. Considering the potential financial burden and the fact that Marcus Maye was also nearing negotiations for a second contract, it was time for Joe Douglas to make tough decisions. That started with the 2020 NFL Draft. Before the Adams trade, it was imperative for Joe Douglas to find a cheaper option at FS with so much money saved for the SS position. At the same time, everyone in the building knew that Jamal Adams' time with the Jets was limited. Attempting to contemplate the potential of both options, Douglas looked to target a safety somewhere after the first round. Selected at the beginning of the third round, Ashtyn Davis was the man for the job. Hometown: Santa Cruz, California High School: Santa Cruz High School Position: FS School: Cal Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 201 pounds A star track runner from Santa Cruz HS, Ashtyn Davis didn't get much football attention until college. As a senior in high school, Davis was the Central Coast Section 110-meter high hurdles champion, earning him interest from various college track coaches. Even with scholarship opportunities, Davis joined Cal's track team as a walk-on. Ashtyn wasn't a part of the football team until a spring tryout his freshmen year. From there, he only improved every year. As a redshirt junior, Davis was named All Pac-12 Conference due to recording 56 tackles (third on team) and 4 interceptions (third in Pac-12). A solidified leader throughout his 4 years at Cal, Ashtyn Davis was awarded the team's Joe Roth Award for sportsmanship and attitude. With Jamal Adams gone, and the combination of Marcus Maye and Bradley McDougald filling in his spot, Ashtyn Davis has a perfect opportunity to develop into Gregg Williams' future free safety. Asked about who he watches in his position at the next level and what he does in his free time, Davis responded: "There’s not one person, I’d say, but I watch a lot of Harrison Smith... Micah Hyde has a pretty good range in the post. Guys like Earl Thomas are so good at what they do. I try to incorporate a lot of that stuff into my game." "I’m not too social, but I’ll go do outdoor-y things... I like hiking. As corny as it may some, something like climbing a tree... I grew up in the Red Woods, so I would just go out there and either hit golf balls or just go hike around." Film Backpedaling before the snap to be better aligned towards the strong side, Davis (single-high safety) recognizes the inside run down the A gap and closes down on the runner with rapid quickness. Upon impact, he dips his shoulders along with ideal flexion in his knees, laying down a punching tackle. Operating from the slot this time around, Davis (right side) gives his man an 8-yard cushion off the line of scrimmage. Although this a throw that Oregon QB Justin Herbert should never attempt, this a poor route from the WR. With Ashtyn's explosive close-down speed on the ball, he undercuts the route to pick the ball off, weaving through blocks until he's tripped up at the 35. An attempt to gain an easy first down with a simple out route deems unsuccessful thanks to Davis' (right side) bursting closedown speed at the catch point. Even with the 8-yard cushion he gives the slot, Ashtyn doesn't let the WR gain much after the catch, leaving him one yard short of the first. While this can be attributed to the WR's inability to break off his stem where the first-down marker is, Davis' efforts prove successful, nonetheless. Playing from the one-high again, Davis has his eyes on Herbert the entire time. Notice how Herbert doesn't even look towards the right side of the field on this play, something that Ashtyn notices. Oregon attempts to beat the Cover3 with two verticals down the strong side, but the mobility and range of Davis prevents this from happening. He easily rotates his hips and runs laterally to catch up with the intended receiver. From there, Ashtyn punishes the WR to the ground at the catch point. From a Cover 2 pre-snap look, Ashtyn Davis operates as the strong safety. Right off the snap, Davis dips into the box, acting as run support at the second level. Putting himself in a position to track down both options of the read-option, Davis makes the correct decision by attacking the RB through the B-gap. Even though the offensive line gets a great push off the line of scrimmage, Davis is right there to make the tackle. He squares up the ball carrier, lowers his body, and ignites through the tackle using his shoulders. About 15 yards off the line of scrimmage, Ashtyn Davis (single-high safety) only backpedals further once the ball is snapped. By the time the ball is thrown, he's about 25 yards off the line of scrimmage. With this much space down the middle, Herbert delivers a strike in between three men (including Davis) to the slot running a post. Once the ball releases from Herbert's hands, Ashtyn breaks downhill to bring down the WR after the catch, efficiently squaring up to his target. Because of this, the receiver doesn't get a chance to create any extra yardage. With the WR in motion, Davis rotates from the single-high safety to down in the box. This rotation is the difference between a 4 and 10+ yard gain. Even with putting himself in a great position to track down the screen-man, he needs to lay penetrate the running lane before Penei Sewell can work downfield. Displaying his spectacular short-area quickness, Ashtyn works through traffic quick enough to trip up the ball carrier. Lined up as the strong safety in a Cover 4 look this time, Ashtyn Davis is the first deep DB to notice Herbert scrambling off to his left. Springy off his feet, Davis catches up with Herbert soon enough down the left sideline. He gets caught up with the action and lays a tackle on Herbert after stepping out of bounds; a clear penalty. While Ashtyn Davis possesses a high motor and a relentless competitive spirit, this is one of the times where it got the best of him. About 16-17 yards off the line of scrimmage once again, Ashtyn Davis works as the single-high safety here. While he was supposed to drift to the strong side off the snap, Davis quickly notices the screen and turns upfield. The ball carrier works past the second level, prompting Ashtyn to square himself up to the WR for the tackle. In space, Davis does a nice job of opening his hips to strike up and through the receiver to prevent any more yards. Throughout the film review thus far, Davis has displayed a strong ability to be able to wrap up his opposition in space. Working on the slot (right side, bottom of screen) within a Cover 1 look, Davis gives his man a 4-yard cushion off the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. In an attempt to jam his matchup before he gets past the 5-yard mark, he shoots his two arms out towards the WR, putting his hands on the numbers. Being the much more physical man, 86 extends his inside arm, swatting away Davis'. This pushes him off-balance, leaving 86 wide-open on the out route. Davis swiftly catches up and is able to aggressively bring his man to the ground, attempting to also punch the ball out, but it's a loss in man-to-man coverage. Off the DB blitz, Ashtyn Davis (strong safety, left side) rotates to cover the X-WR. The QB does a fantastic job of recognizing this blitz, throwing it to his man instead of handing it off to the back. While Ashtyn Davis isn't necessarily late to the rotation, he misses the tackle that leads to a walk-in TD. He squares up to the defender by opening his hips, but drops his head which leads to a whiff. Tackling outside his frame is problematic for Davis at times. With another Cover 1 look with a safety about 23 yards back, Davis (right side slot) gives about a 6-yard cushion off the line of scrimmage. He attempts to get physical before the 5-yard mark, jamming the receiver in the attempt of knocking him off his intended route. Although this wasn't a poor attempt, the WR's much larger frame allows him to essentially box-out Davis on the in route. Ashtyn stays on him pretty tightly, but doesn't get a look at the ball because of his positioning. Exceptional man-coverage, just better route running and ball placement. Ashtyn's short-area quickness really presents itself with plays like this. An underthrown ball from Dorian Thompson-Robinson leads to a deflected pass at the catch point. Locating the ball with ease, Davis showcases ideal full-body fluidity to be able to get under the ball for the interception. Although Davis' extension isn't anything special, he's nimble off his feet, which gives him an extra advantage tracking down the ball. Although he's mostly played in the slot or safety, Ashtyn Davis (right 7-tech) is positioned in the box this time around. As long as he can take the correct initial pursuit angle, Davis can be a force off the edge in a goal-line situation. UCLA runs an inside zone to the right A-gap, which Ashtyn blows up right away. Coming off the edge unblocked, Davis doesn't have to worry about a pursuit angle which allows him to pop the ball carrier immediately following the hand-off. This is a great example of Cal putting their personnel in the correct position and alignment to make a play. Bottom Line Only making the Cal football team as a walk-on, Ashtyn Davis explains how it gave him extra motivation: "Oh, absolutely... That's become part of my identity. I work the same way I did when I was a walk-on. I keep that same mentality and, hopefully, it will take me places." Coverage A rangy safety known for his track accolades entering college, Ashtyn Davis fits the mold that Gregg Williams instills in his defensive scheme. At Cal, Davis was known for his versatility in the slot, deep halves/thirds safety, or even in the box. In zone, Davis is adept at knowing his assigned area and can leverage WRs off their intended route. Playing man from the slot, Ashtyn has shown flashes of brilliance such as undercutting routes to make a play on the ball. Davis can get beat up from larger, more physical receivers, prompting this part of his game as something that has to be developed in the NFL. Athleticism Ashtyn's play speed and athleticism are where he mostly excels. A springy athlete who's capable of changing direction in a fast, fluid motion, Davis possesses dynamic range. This range allows him to make a play on the ball in a variety of different ways. Whether he's pursuing the ball carrier in run support utilizing his rapid close-down speed or demonstrating exceptional short-area quickness by tracking down and reeling in an interception, Ashtyn Davis is a product of his impressive track and field resume. Tackling A physical defensive back, to say the least, there were times on film where he'll blow up run blockers in pursuit of the ball carrier. On the third/last level of defense, Davis rarely misses the tackle, even if its in the open field. When closing in on a receiver at the catch point, Ashtyn more-than-often punishes his intended man to the ground. While he's a tough-hitter, there were times where Davis dropped his head or was too aggressive, resulting in missed tackles. Something that can be developed, Ashtyn sometimes struggles with tackling beyond his frame/body. Run Support Regarding run support, Davis can take poor angles to the ball, usually putting himself behind the ball carrier. While Ashtyn can consistently disengage himself from run blocks, his ability to shoot the correct gap from the box can be rather poor and needs to be developed at the next level. Football Intelligence An agile and quick defender operating from the single-high safety position, Ashtyn needs to show a bit more anticipation on routes. While he's adept at reading the quarterback's eyes and positioning himself to make a play on the ball, a bit more anticipation can prevent big plays at the next level. What To Expect in 2020 While the starting safety spots belong to Bradley McDougald and Marcus Maye (with the potential of being interchangeable between FS and SS) Ashtyn Davis likely will not get starter reps in Year 1 barring injury. Instead, expect Davis to be solid contributor to the special teams unit, where he also excelled at Cal. Already the most athletic safety on the team, Ashtyn must further develop in man coverage and run support to further take advantage of his gifted physical traits. What To Expect Beyond 2020 An exciting playmaker on the defensive side, Davis has a lot of potential at safety. While he should primarily operate as a Cover-2 FS opposed to a Cover 1/3 single-high safety, Ashtyn has the skillset and physical build to be a valuable over-the-top defensive back. He isn't a ballhawk like Ed Reed or a punishing hitter like Troy Polamalu, but Gregg Williams will be ecstatic to use Ashtyn Davis creatively in the secondary. Even though the future status of Marcus Maye and Bradley McDougald remains unknown with expiring contracts, the Jets have options heading into 2021. Joe Douglas can keep in mind that, whatever he decides to do regarding the veteran safeties, he has an athletic, rangy, young FS in Ashtyn Davis for the foreseeable future.