Saints' Demario Davis Garners High Praise in ESPN Poll

Saints' Demario Davis ranked in the Top 10 best off-the-ball linebackers from ESPN's polling of league execs, coaches, scouts, and players.

John Hendrix | Jul 7, 2022

It's no secret how much Demario Davis has helped change the landscape of the Saints defense since coming in as a free agent in 2018. He's easily been one of the best free agent additions the team has had in the past 15 years, being instrumental in a tremendous defensive turnaround in New Orleans. Davis' play and leadership speaks for itself, and it appears that more people around the league are noticing it.

ESPN is going through a series currently that's identifying the best players on the field going into 2022 at each position. Cam Jordan appeared on the edge rushers list recently, coming in at 10th.

Demario - Derick E. Hingle — Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports

As for Demario Davis, he ranked as high as 2nd on their most recent list, and was at 6th during last year's ranking, which is where he finds himself ranked again going into 2022. The shocking part is seeing some execs not having him in their Top 10. You can see the whole column here, which requires ESPN+ to access. Here's some of the criteria they used to formulate the list and some info.

Surveyed more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts, and players
Voters gave their 10 best players at each position
Tackle machines didn't get you a high ranking at linebacker
Evaluation included how they affect game plans, how often they create turnovers
More than 20 players got at least one vote

What They Said About Demario Davis

Evaluators keep waiting on the decline from the 10-year veteran, but it hasn't happened yet.

"He might start to decline this year, but he's so damn smart that it almost doesn't matter," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "Does everything well."

Davis has been a revelation for New Orleans since joining in 2018, earning All-Pro first- or second-team status in each of the past three seasons. In 2021, he had three sacks and seven pass deflections, the only linebacker on this list to hit both marks.

"He's always been an exceptional athlete and worker, and just the maturity that comes from being in the position for so long and being in multiple schemes and the game evolving to more sub-based packages has allowed him to become the three-down prototype," an NFC scout said.

Davis and the team reworked his deal recently, which actually gave him a one-year extension through 2024. It gives Davis a chance to earn more and compensates him a bit better.

Davis isn't just a force on the field, as his impact and work off the field and in various communities should be recognized. This looks to be another big year for the Saints, and Davis will be a huge reason whether or not they succeed or not. He's easily one of the most important players on the field going into 2022.

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Published Jul 7, 2022

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net