Edwards, who spent 10 years as a player in the NFL and nearly another decade as a head coach in the league, said Davidson has a sixth sense about feeling blocks. His ability to understand what offensive lines were trying to do coupled with elite physical traits made him a force up front.
“He was very good at splitting double teams, avoiding that and getting penetration in the backfield,” Edwards said. “That’s what we wanted our guys to do on the D-line. We really wanted them to get off on the ball and play on the other side of the line of scrimmage. And he could do that because he had power and great balance. [He was] not on the ground a lot, and that’s what you want to see from defensive lineman. You don’t want guys on the ground a lot. He was always light on his feet and really within that five-yard box was very quick and very active.”
With the Giants, Davidson joined a revamped defense under Wink Martindale, another seasoned coach with a wealth of knowledge from which he can draw.
Martindale is known for his aggressive play-calling – “I’m not one of those guys that’s going to drive home [after games] and say, I wish I didn’t play max coverage there” – and will look to unleash players like Davidson and fellow rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux. While Davidson might not have the pass rush resume of a Thibodeaux, he can help in other ways.
“If you can warrant a double-team, you’re going to free someone else up,” Edwards said. “But at times you’re going to get some one-on-one matchups with the guards and maybe even the center, at times, depending on how they use you. You’ve got to be able to win those. That’s going to really separate you whether it’s in college or professional football. That’s the separation right there. As we know, you have to stop the run first, and once you stop the run, you have to get home, especially when you can get home with four guys. That’s the uniqueness. When you have four guys up front that can get to the quarterback, you can do a lot with the…
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