Cal Football: First-Round Picks May Affect Ashtyn Davis' Draft Status

The moves during Thursday's first round could affect how things play out in the second and third rounds Friday, and it may have impacted Cal safety Ashtyn Davis' draft position.

Following Thursday's picks NFL.com's updated mock draft projects Davis to be taken with the 12th pick of the third round. CBS Sports' new mock draft now has Davis being picked late in the third round. The Sports News' updated mock draft does not have Davis being taken in the second or third round, which would push him back to Saturday's final day of the draft, when rounds four through seven will be held.

Davis' draft status seemed to be climbing in recent weeks, with several mock drafts from reliable media outlets projecting him to be an early second-round pick. But things worked against Davis on Thursday.

Not a single safety was taken in the first round on Thursday, so the pecking order of safeties moved down the draft ladder. Davis was expected to be the fourth or fifth safety taken in the draft, behind the likes of Alabama's Xavier McKinney and LSU's Grant Delpit, both of whom were considered possible first-round picks but are still on the board. As a result Davis may slide a bit Friday night--if he is drafted at all Friday.

The CBS Sports updated mock draft has Davis being selected with the very last pick of the third round, which would make him the final pick of Friday's draft session.

In its comment about Davis, CBS Sports said: "If healthy, Davis has at least second-round talent with a nice blend of coverage range and hitting ability."

Davis had minor surgery to repair an adductor injury after the regular season, causing him to miss the Redbox Bowl and the Senior Bowl. He did not run the 40-yard dash or agility drills at the NFL Combine, preferring to recover further before running the 40 at Cal's Pro Day. Unfortunately, Cal's Pro Day, scheduled for March 20, was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, no one really knows where Davis will be drafted, and surprises always occur during the draft. Friday's second round begins at 4 p.m. Pacific time.

The virtual draft ran rather smoothly on Thursday. Will there be any glitches on Friday?

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