Is there anyone on the New Orleans Saints’ roster who is as good at what he does as Demario Davis? The veteran linebacker has done nothing but make plays in stopping the run, covering receivers downfield, and blitzing the quarterback ever since he first put on a black-and-gold helmet. It’s taken some time, but he’s finally getting some of the respect he deserves after making his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance at age 34.
With the 2023 campaign rapidly approaching, Davis was recognized as the sixth-best linebacker in the league by Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, who wrote:
“If Davis isn’t the most underrated linebacker in the NFL, he’s on a very short list. He’s been a great player for a long time, but the 2012 third-round pick of the Jets has made the Pro Bowl (2022) and the First-Team All-Pro team (2019) just once each. Davis has combined the required traits for his position at a high level for the last half-decade, and he did that again last season. Davis had a career-high nine sacks, two quarterback hits, seven quarterback hurries, 63 solo tackles, 43 stops, and he allowed 31 catches on 42 targets for 276 yards, 209 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, one interception, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 96.9.”
We’ve discussed the important role Davis plays in the New Orleans defense before — last year, he was the only linebacker in the NFL to stay on the field for 100% of his team’s defensive snaps. There aren’t many players with his combination of experience, durability, and playmaking ability while bringing the leadership qualities to maintain a top-flight defense with heavy turnover in personnel from one season to the next. The Saints will be counting on Davis again in 2023.
