New York Jets rookie Ashtyn Davis is a ‘sponge’ so far in training camp

Ashtyn Davis is turning heads in New York Jets training camp, but not necessarily for his speed and athleticism.

When the New York Jets took Ashtyn Davis in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the pick left plenty of people scratching their heads. But now that Jamal Adams is off in Seattle and Marcus Maye is likely to see more time in the box, there’s an opportunity for the uber-athletic safety.

He’s slotting in as the third safety behind Maye and Bradley McDougald, but he’s already making an impression in Jets training camp.

Jets' DB coach Dennard Wilson on Ashtyn Davis:

"This young man is a sponge."

Wilson praised his coachability as well as his freak athletic ability, citing his sideline-to-sideline range. #Jets

— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) August 22, 2020

Robby Sabo of Jets X-Factor has been at training camp all week and the early returns on Davis sound promising. Sabo writes:

“Nonetheless, rookie safety Ashtyn Davis has been the most aggressive practice tackler in camp. He thumps the ball carrier every chance he gets and usually finishes the play to its absolute completion.”

Davis is a versatile safety who can play all over the field, but he’s likely going to be at his best when he’s in space. He’s an unreal athlete with solid instincts.

4x NCAA qualifier Ashtyn Davis bringing some speed to that hit! 😈 pic.twitter.com/IZwNCMMdmB

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) September 11, 2018

As previously mentioned, Davis is stuck behind Maye and McDougald right now, but we should see a lot of the rookie anyway. Few defensive coordinators in the NFL are as creative as Gregg Williams and we shouldn’t rule out three-safety sets with Davis playing the deep man.

Additionally, the rookie’s speed makes him a prime candidate for special teams. He has experience as a return man and his aggressiveness as a tackler means he should be able to hold his own in almost any special teams scenario.