Most pass rushers would be happy to turn in two sacks and a forced fumble after a day in the office. That’s not the case for Marcus Davenport, last year’s first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints. He’s still a work in progress, but Davenport’s come a long way from the unrefined player who couldn’t set himself in a three-point stance. After tearing up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he still sees room for improvement.
“I don’t like missing things so no, not really,” Davenport said when asked if he was pleased with the progress he’s made, five games into his second season in New Orleans. In addition to his two sacks, Davenport logged three other quarterback hits to maintain his grip on the team lead — he’s hit opposing passers 11 times, putting a wide berth between himself and the second-best Saints player (Cameron Jordan, who has been credited with 7 hits).
And Davenport’s production is gaining notice. Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins referenced his late-game sack of Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, in which Davenport beat right tackle Demar Dotson with a long-arm technique to run him over and crash down on Winston before the passer could finish his dropback.
“He’s going and playing violent and playing fast,” Rankins said after the game. “You see the results. He put another grown man on his (expletive) and proceeded to almost strip Jameis Winston.”
It was the second time Davenport nearly created a turnover; he wasn’t able to sack Winston earlier in the game, but managed to punch the ball loose as he was being blocked away from the quarterback. The Buccaneers were fortunate to recover that fumble, and Winston luckily held on despite Davenport’s pressure again later in the game. Those lucky breaks aren’t easy to sustain, and Davenport should only keep reaching greater heights as he continues to learn and develop.
