Davis in line for job with defense
FOXBORO — Keionta Davis was all smiles as he roamed the Patriots’ locker room after practice yesterday, mingling with teammates and stopping for a quick chat with Deatrich Wise.
There’s certainly a lot for him to be happy about.
The second-year defensive lineman, who was a long shot to make the team when training camp began a few weeks ago, is now pushing for a roster spot. He was a standout in the Patriots’ 37-20 preseason victory over the Eagles last Thursday, producing 1.5 sacks and three pressures, and he was a factor in the run game.
He’s also grateful for the opportunity he’s getting. Davis was undrafted coming out of TennesseeChattanooga in 2017 when coach Bill Belichick saw enough to sign him. But before his season began, he was placed on the non-football injury list, ending his year.
Undrafted rookies don’t typically stick around, let alone those who miss an entire year.
“I just work hard, man,” Davis said. “I try not to complain about anything. I just try to work hard and go in there and wherever they put me at just try to do my best at it, and fix my weaknesses and try to improve my strengths and all that stuff. For me, it’s a hard-working mentality.”
Davis is getting every chance to prove himself. Against the Eagles, he started at left defensive end and played most of the game, moving around on the line. He finished with 54 snaps, a teamhigh. He gained about six or seven pounds during the offseason, is now at 280 pounds, which he feels good at. He’s trying to use that extra strength with the speed he has to be more effective.
“Whether I’m playing inside or outside (on the line), that extra strength is always helpful with dealing with double teams and things like that,” Davis said. “To be able to have that power and speed, it helps with pass rushing too. It’s definitely helpful . ... It’s something I’m still working on, so I definitely want to improve that (versatility). It gives you more value to the team, so like I said, I try to come in and try to prove myself.
“That’s one way I try to prove myself is showing I have versatility, I have the smarts to move down the inside and learn and develop in there and also to be dependable outside.”
Belichick is pleased with the progress Davis has made.
“Keionta worked really hard last year, even though he wasn’t able to practice,” he said on a conference call last week. “He was on NFI all season, but he essentially went through two offseason programs, one during the season and then one in the offseason, because he was restricted to what his participation level could be.
“He still has a long way to go. He still has a lot of things he needs to improve on and refine and react quicker to, and so forth, but that comes from not having actively played football for a year, or a little more than a year. It has returned and hopefully those things will come back to him and his reactions and all will continue to improve. He’s done a good job. He’s in good condition. He’s worked hard. I like what he’s been doing.”
Whatever his future holds, Davis is grateful.
“It’s definitely a blessing,” he said. “It could have went a different way for me, but luckily it went this way for me. I’m glad, this is a great group of guys. I love being around them. I was around most of these guys last year, so we have some kind of relationship, and they all root for me. We all go out there and compete, push each other, so it makes it a little bit easier when you know you got guys that want to see you do well. So it’s a great experience and I’m loving it so far.”