Carlton Davis III

Carlton Davis III's Biography

Born on December 31, 1996, Carlton Davis III is a renowned American professional football cornerback. Currently, he is playing for the Detroit Lions within the prestigious National Football League (NFL). He achieved his foundation in football when he played college-level games at Auburn, after which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him in the second round of the NFL draft in 2018.

His football journey began in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he attended Miami Norland Senior High School and played high school football. Initially, Davis committed to the Ohio State University for college football. His plans, however, soon changed, and he moved his commitment to Auburn University.

Earning his stripes as a competent player, Davis established himself as a starter as a freshman at Auburn in 2015. His performance during the season was remarkable; he recorded 56 tackles and three interceptions. His sophomore year in 2016 saw him make 46 tackles. The following year, Davis made 36 tackles, deflected 12 passes, and intercepted one. On January 3, 2018, Davis announced his decision to enter the NFL draft.

During the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Davis completed most of the drills but chose not to participate in the short shuttle and three-cone drill. He ranked eighth among all cornerbacks in the broad jump and bench press. He also participated in Auburn’s pro day and performed most drills except the bench press, vertical jump, and broad jump. Davis enhanced his timings in 40-yard, 20-yard, and 10-yard dashes. By the conclusion of the pre-draft process, NFL draft experts and scouts projected Davis as a second-round pick. Insightful assessments by Sports Illustrated, DraftScout.com, and Scouts Inc. ranked Davis as the 6th, 8th, and 9th best cornerback in the draft, respectively.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Davis as the 63rd overall pick in the NFL Draft 2018. he was the ninth cornerback drafted that year. Shortly after, on May 24, 2018, the Buccaneers signed Davis to a four-year contract, which involved a $4.39 million contract, $2.43 million in guarantees, and a signing bonus of $1.27 million.

With the Buccaneers, Davis made his professional debut in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. By the end of his debut season, Davis had made 40 tackles, four pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. In the following seasons, he went from strength to strength, recording impressive stats, such as 60 tackles, 19 pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in his second season.

Davis maintained his high performance during the Bucs’ playoff run in 2020 that culminated in Super Bowl LV. As a testament to Davis’s growth as a professional player, he managed 68 total tackles, four interceptions, and 18 defended passes in 14 games for the season.

Entering the 2021 season as a starting cornerback for the Buccaneers, Davis signed a three-year, $45 million contract with them in March 2022. However, his 2021 season was marred by a quad injury in Week 4, leading to his placement on the injury reserve list.

Despite the setback, Davis resumed playing when he was activated on December 3, 2021. His first interception of the season occurred against the Bengals, although it was during a 34-23 loss for the Buccaneers.

Shortly thereafter, on March 13, 2024, Davis, along with two sixth-round picks, was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a third-round pick (92nd overall, Jalen McMillan).

Despite his professional accomplishments, Davis was embroiled in controversy on April 4, 2021, when he tweeted an offensive Asian slur. Upon being informed of the offensive nature of his tweet, Davis cited the Urban Dictionary, which defined the term as lame in South Florida slang. The following day, Davis issued an apology via Twitter and pledged never to use the term again.