Maryland Football: Sean Davis appears primed for huge year

Sean Davis was one of Maryland’s highest draft picks in recent years when the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

The former Maryland safety had a huge rookie season and was one of the biggest producers on Pittsburgh’s defense in 2016.

Davis ended up starting nine games for a team that was in desperate need of some help in the secondary. That’s a big reason why the Steelers grabbed cornerback Artie Burns and Davis in the first two rounds of the draft in 2016.

The former Terp confirmed Pittsburgh’s selection with a monster rookie season

Davis registered 70 tackles, five defended passes, 1.5 sacks, and an interception last season. He finished the regular season strong as he accumulated at least six tackles in each of the final five games.

Pittsburgh really hadn’t had any starpower at the safety position since Pro Bowler Troy Polamalu retired back in 2014. Davis had several attributes that endeared him to the Pittsburgh fanbase.

Davis was extremely physical at the point of attack, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who watched him play in College Park. The versatile defensive back has never been afraid to lower his shoulder and lay a big hit on an opposing receiver.

The former Maryland standout proved to be strong in pass coverage. After moving to cornerback over his final two years with the Terps, Davis proved to be a liability at times, but he seems to have found his way at safety.

Davis also helped stop the run and punished opposing ball carriers quite a bit throughout the season. In addition, he was also able to get after the quarterback and made opposing signal callers get ride of the ball a lot sooner than they wanted to on some occasions.

During his time at Maryland, Davis showed just how versatile he could be whether it’s playing multiple positions or getting after the quarterback.

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While it’s just one NFL season, Davis has shown incredible talent and proved to be a fixture on the Steelers’ defense. If the former Terp can produce another stellar NFL campaign, he could catapult himself into the conversation for one of the more talented safeties in the AFC.