Report: 49ers Meet With Cal Safety Ashtyn Davis
Until a trade officially happens, the 49ers do not have any second day draft picks. This puts pressure on both the 13th and 31st picks to either be home runs or versatile playmakers.
While defensive line or wide receiver seem to be the heavy favorite in mock drafts at 13, pick 31 remains much more up in the air. A high-potential wild-card at the end of the first round, or an early second combined with a trade that gains more picks, would go a long way toward restocking the depth.
One prospect that is close to home is four-year Cal safety Ashtyn Davis. It’s been reported by Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area that the former Cal walk-on and hurdler met with John Lynch and the 49ers.
This might come as a surprise given that the 49ers just heavily invested in Jimmie Ward and have more pressing needs along the roster, but it never hurts to look at the talent in your backyard.
Given his already small notoriety from playing football at Cal, Davis does not get the national recognition of other safety prospects like LSU’s Grant Delpit or Alabama’s Xavier McKinney. He sat out both the Senior Bowl and most of the combine with injuries, which further limited his exposure.
Along with the lack of publicity, Davis needs to improve his tackling and instincts, yet he is comfortable in zone coverage at multiple spots and possesses high recovery speed that can erase some mistakes.
This is where the 49ers come in. It’s well-known John Lynch and co. have been busy watching tape and remain prepared despite the issues at hand. Since private workouts are nonexistent, the combine and past game-film are essentially the only way to scout for this draft. This shouldn’t be an issue for either San Francisco or Davis who seem to fill each other’s needs.
Another advantage with San Francisco taking Davis would be the reduced pressure from day one to succeed. After re-signing Ward, the 49ers are set to return their entire starting secondary. This leaves little room for Davis to make an immediate impact on the defense, but it allows him to ease into the NFL with something he’s proved to be great at: special teams.
Davis was an elite special teamer at Cal. He won the J. Scott Duncan Award twice as Cal’s special teams MVP. His athleticism and speed project him to be a quality gunner, but he also has experience in the return game.
Safety definitely does not rank high on 49er fans’ wish list, but Davis’ electric speed, local ties and journey to the NFL should win fans over rather quickly.
