The New York Jets re-signed safety Ashtyn Davis to an undisclosed deal on Thursday, according to a source. The 2020 third-round pick by the Jets in 2020 out of California was drawing interest from a few teams on the free-agent market after posting a career-high three interceptions in 17 games last year but he wanted another year with head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ullbrich. The 27-year-old will return to a reserve role in New York's secondary in 2024 and will also be involved on special teams. In addition to his career-high three picks in 2023, Davis had 37 tackles (23 solo), eight passes defended and a career-high three fumble recoveries. Davis won't be on the IDP fantasy radar.
New York Jets safety Ashtyn Davis was viewed as a developmental player when he was taken in the third round in 2020. He was robbed of valuable repetitions when organized team activities and minicamp were canceled in his rookie year, and then he suffered a foot injury midway through his first NFL season that put him on Injured Reserve and kept him out throughout the 2021 offseason program and training camp. But this year, Davis has been able to prepare and looks significantly improved while working with the second-team defense. The 25-year-old is flying around, but the Jets also haven't used pads yet, so it'll be interesting to see if Davis has improved while defending the run, which is what he struggled the most with last year.
The New York Jets are really high on rookie safety Ashtyn Davis, and the team was surprised that he was available near the top of the third round in last month's draft. If it weren't for groin surgery last December, Davis likely would have performed well at the NFL combine and raised his draft stock considerably, according to some in the scouting community. Senior Bowl executive director and former NFL scout Jim Nagy thinks Davis, a former track star in college, would have run the 40-yard dash in the high-4.3's or low-4.4's, which could've vaulted him into first-round consideration. "I thought he was the best single-high safety in the draft in terms of range and being able to play in the deep middle of the field," said Nagy, adding that Davis has enough athleticism to play cornerback. The Jets plan is to keep him at safety, which could make Marcus Maye the odd man out.
The New York Jets have selected California safety Ashtyn Davis with the No. 68 overall pick in the third round. It's a little bit of an odd move with Jamal Adams still under contract, but maybe the Jets plan on trading him. Regardless, Davis is an impact player with great speed and incredible instincts. He doesn't exactly fit on the current roster, but he could battle with Marcus Maye for playing time. He collected 55 tackles, one sack and two interceptions during his final season at Cal in 2019. Davis was injured in the pre-draft process, but his speed and range from the safety position make him stand out.
