Did the Lions get a true No. 1 corner in Carlton Davis III? Ja'Marr Chase would say so.
When Chase was asked last season to name the best defensive back he's faced in the NFL, the superstar receiver for the Bengals said, "For me, I will say Carlton Davis."
"Only reason why I say Carlton Davis is because he was longer than I expected, longer arms, and he’s got no knee bend. He just hunched his back over and just played defense," Chase said in an interview with former NFL defensive back Jason McCourty. "He’s made some good plays on me, so I ain’t going to never forget that one."
Davis III, indeed, got the better of Chase when they clashed late in the 2022 season. Chase did catch seven of 13 targets for 60 yards and a touchdown, but Davis allowed just three catches and no touchdowns on eight targets in coverage. He also had four passes defended and a pick, the latter on a pass intended for Chase.
Even Chase had to admit, "He played good defense sometimes. I still scored that game, but that's a good matchup."
Davis often shadowed the opposition's No. 1 receiver during his time in Tampa, which will likely be his job in Detroit. The Lions sent a third-round pick to the Bucs to acquire his services. He will be a boon to a defense that was routinely burned by elite receivers last season and allowed quarterbacks to throw for the second most yards per attempt and sixth most yards per game in the NFL.
A six-year vet, Davis looks like a good fit for Aaron Glenn's defense, which plays tons of man coverage. In man coverage over the last three seasons, including the playoffs, Davis allowed just 39 completions on 89 targets and a passer rating of 66.46. He's 6'1 with long arms, and plays a physical game on the outside.
And at 27 years old, the Lions will hope he still has several good seasons ahead of him.