Eric Davis Believes Richard Sherman is the Next Merton Hanks at Safety

Eric Davis loves to talk football.

The former 49ers All Pro cornerback is extremely smart and opinionated. He joined my live stream Monday morning and, without prompting, explained why Richard Sherman would be the next Merton Hanks if he were to move to free safety.

Keep in mind, Davis played with Hanks, so Davis would know. Davis also played with Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Ricky Watters, George Siefert and Mike Shanahan, just for the record.

Here's what Davis said.

DAVIS: "I would love for Sherm to move to safety, because the safety position has to get more productivity. Richard Sherman has the body. he has the mindset. He has the intent to be a high-level safety. I think Sherm would be a Pro Bowl safety. I see Sherm moving to safety and having the same effect that Merton Hanks moving to safety had."

ME: "Do you think Sherman can play single-high safety."

DAVIS: "Of course he can. People keep saying he's too slow to play safety. If he's fast enough to be an All Pro corner, how the hell do you think he can't play safety? You don't have to be as fast to play safety. It's harder to play corner. It takes more athletic ability to play corner than anything on the football field. The corners are THE best athletes, and that's not just because I played the position. The corners have to be the best athletes because what they do takes the most athletic ability. I have to figure it out going backwards. I have to react to what these guys are doing and I have to be there the same time the ball gets there. It takes more ability to do that defensively. So Sherm has the ability to play safety, just like Merton Hanks.

"I told Merton, he would have had a very short career if he had had to play corner, because he's not a corner. He doesn't move like a corner. Sherm can. He has the ball skills. He has the understanding and the ability to tackle. I think he would make the secondary very good."

Watch the interview below: