Shawn
Davis.
Shawn
Davis.
Florida· 5'10"· 202 lb
"A 5'10", 202 Florida strong safety and Miami Southridge product with a 39.5-inch vertical and highlight-reel hit tape — a Round-5 sub-package thumper projection where the sub-six-foot frame and stiff range profile capped the coverage ceiling."Pre-draft read
This strong safety operates downhill, frequently aligning closer to the line of scrimmage than in deep coverage. He thrives in Cover-1 robber and Cover-3 buzz, utilizing his trigger and closing speed. He demonstrates clean eye discipline, reading pullers and run-action effectively, and maintains timely footwork from his backpedal. He finishes tackles with impact, wrapping through the near hip and halting ball-carriers upon contact.
His pass coverage is less developed. His hips exhibit stiffness when opening from a two-high shell, and his deep-half range does not align with his vertical explosion. Against slot receivers in man coverage, his limited lateral quickness becomes apparent. Ball skills appear as flashes rather than consistent volume.
This player is ideally suited for a Cover-1 robber or Cover-3 buzz scheme that emphasizes downhill trigger and closing speed from a strong safety at the line of scrimmage.
As a rookie, he projects as a special teams contributor and sub-package safety, then could develop into a starting strong safety in a heavy box or robber role.
He would not be a good fit for a two-high quarters or Cover-2 scheme where he is asked to play deep-half coverage with extensive hip turns.
A physical, downhill strong safety with elite closing speed and pop as a tackler, but limited range and coverage versatility that make him a scheme-specific prospect.
Hardest HITTING Safety in College Football — Shawn Davis 2020 Highlights
Senior-year cutup that leans on the downhill trigger and finish-through-contact tape that defined the evaluation.
Shawn Davis 2018 & 2019 Highlights — Florida Safety
Underclass reel featuring the one-handed Bo Nix interception and the run-fit reps that got him on the Senior Bowl radar.
Indianapolis Colts select Florida DB Shawn Davis with 165th pick
Colts pick recap breaking down the fit as a sub-package strong safety and special-teams core behind Blackmon and Willis.
This player projects as a sub-package chess piece and special-teams gunner, primarily due to his physical, downhill style of play as a box defender. His evaluation hinges on his ability to survive coverage snaps rather than consistently making plays in pass defense, with his 39.5-inch vertical highlighting an explosive lower half.
A four-year Gator from Miami Southridge, he maintained a physical identity. During his senior year, which was shortened to eight SEC-only games, his production emphasized hit-tape over ball-hawking, reflected in his 37 games, 16 starts, and four career interceptions. His signature one-handed pick against Bo Nix in 2019 was a notable highlight.
Evaluators generally graded him as a Day-3 strong safety. Concensuses noted that he would need to secure a roster spot via special teams and downhill sub-package work. There was a recognized risk that his coverage ceiling and limited short-area range could potentially restrict his defensive role. He was drafted 165th overall.
- 01
Downhill trigger
Reads run keys and route stems quickly from an eight-yard depth, closing on the ball with burst and rarely getting caught peeking in the intermediate area.
- 02
Finish through contact
Hits and wraps through the near hip with significant pop, consistently generates jarring stops, preventing ball-carriers from falling forward after initial contact.
- 03
Lower-body explosion
Demonstrated a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-8 broad jump at his pro day, indicating a dense, coiled athlete whose burst out of the backpedal translates to tape.
- 04
Signature ball production moment
His 2019 one-handed interception against Auburn's Bo Nix remained a projectable ball-tracking rep that was frequently cited by evaluators.
- 05
Special-teams temperament
Exhibits a willingness as a gunner and core hitter, playing through contact on kick coverage and showing comfort in collision-based special teams snaps.
- 01
Sub-six-foot frame
At 5'10.5 with 31 7/8-inch arms, this short stature can be problematic for contested-catch situations and limits disguise value in two-high shells.
- 02
Hip stiffness in space
Struggles to open cleanly from a Cover-2 half or high shell alignment, turning late on double moves and often giving excessive cushion to slot receivers.
- 03
Limited ball production
Recorded only four career interceptions in 37 games, suggesting he is more of a hitter than a finisher at the catch point on a day-to-day basis.
- 04
Man-coverage ceiling on tight ends and slots
Change-of-direction ability in tight spaces is average, often conceding underneath throws on option and choice routes.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- —s
- Vertical
- 39.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 128inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- 17repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Florida | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | Florida | 9 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019 | Florida | 12 | 51 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | Florida | 7 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | — | 37 | 126 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Sub-package Day-3 strong safety and special-teams core who made a roster on collision snaps and gunner value rather than a defined defensive role — the realistic Round-5 outcome for the profile.
Downhill Florida safety who cashed a four-year starter career on hit tape and box instincts more than deep-half range — Davis had a version of the same profile without the length or coverage answers.
Late-round Southeastern safety who bounced between practice squads and one-game call-ups on special teams — the outcome Davis actually landed on when the coverage floor didn't clear NFL competition.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Bust. 5 special-teams tackles Year 1, cut before Year 2. Signed with the Cardinals on a futures deal, out of the league by 2023.
Pre-draft context. Davis was a physical, downhill safety with the kind of high-school pedigree Florida rarely lets leave the state — a Miami Southridge product who started as a true sophomore, played 37 games with 16 starts across four years, and finished with 4 interceptions and a 2019 one-handed pick against Bo Nix that ran on national highlight loops for a week. He returned for a senior season shortened by the SEC's ten-game slate, tested at 5'10.5, 202 with a 39.5-inch vertical and 10-8 broad, and left Gainesville with a hitter's reputation but only modest ball production.
NFL fit — Indianapolis Colts. The Indianapolis organization took him 165th to compete for the third-safety and dime-linebacker snaps behind Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis, betting on the closing burst and special-teams temperament. He never cracked the active roster in Indianapolis, was waived at final cutdowns, and claimed by Green Bay on the practice squad.
Retrospective. Davis played exactly one NFL game — a Week-16 appearance with the Packers that included a 37-yard fumble recovery — and was out of the league by the end of the following year, with no defensive snaps of note. A textbook Day-3 strong-safety miss where the frame, range and coverage skill set never survived NFL fit even at the value slot.