When looking solely at the starters, the New England Patriots might have the best cornerback group in the NFL. Christian Gonzalez is at the very least a top three player at the position, whose efforts single-handedly kept the team in the Super Bowl for as long as it was, while Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones are experienced and high-quality pieces on the perimeter and in the slot, respectively.
The problem for the Patriots at this point in time is that the depth behind the trio is lacking. Sure, you
have numbers — those numbers are one times five, to be exact — but some developmental youth and possible starter upside is needed.
New England is unlikely to address that issue early in the draft, but there are some intriguing later-round options to consider. One of them is Washington’s Tacario Davis.
Hard facts
Name: Tacario Davis
Position: Cornerback
School: Washington (Sr.)
Opening day age: 22 (8/17/2004)
Measurements: 6’3 7/8”, 194 lbs, 33 3/8” arm length, 9 1/4” hand size, 4.41s 40-yard dash, 37” vertical jump, 10’3” broad jump, 10 bench press reps, 8.75 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
Colleges: Arizona (2022-24), Washington (2025)
Career statistics: 37 games (30 starts) | 1,851 defensive snaps, 174 special teams snaps | 95 tackles, 6 missed tackles (5.9%), 3.5 TFLs, 1 FR | 3 QB pressures (3 hurries) | 143 targets, 71 catches surrendered (49.7%), 988 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs, 28 PBUs | 1 blocked FG (incl. 1 TD) | 14 penalties (incl. 1 declined/offsetting)
Accolades: Second-team All-Big 12 (2024), Honorable mention All-Pac 12 (2023)
A multi-sport athlete at Millikan High School in Long Beach, CA (football plus track) who was also versatile on the gridiron (cornerback plus wide receiver), Davis was rated a three-star recruit. He eventually committed to Arizona, where he played 30 games with 23 starts under head coach and former Patriots assistant Jedd Fisch. He broke up 23 passes during that time and picked off another, but decided to leave Tucson to reunite with Fisch after his junior campaign.
His lone season at Washington was disrupted by rib and hamstring injuries, which forced him to miss three separate games each. When he was healthy, though, he flashed his talents by registering five more pass breakups as well as a pair of interceptions in seven games (all starts).
Draft profile
Projected round: 4-5 | Consensus big board: No. 119 | Patriots meeting: N/A
Strengths: Standing at almost 6-foot-4 with 33 3/8-inch arms and an 80 7/8-inch wingspan — equivalent to that of a full-grown bald eagle — Davis offers a rare mix of height and length; all three of those measurements have him ranked in the 95th-plus percentile at cornerback. He plays the part, too, using his size effectively to reroute receivers from the release through the stem to the top of the route. He also aggressively closes pass windows while simultaneously having an increased margin for error if giving up space or getting beaten. That is especially true because he also has the speed to recover fairly quickly, and to hang with players either in a trail or pursuit situation.
Weaknesses: Davis didn’t do any agility drills at either the Combine or the Washington pro day, and one has to wonder whether that was to mask some insufficient quickness. Tape doesn’t lie, though, and it shows a player who is a linear athlete most comfortable operating in straight lines. He can play too tall at times and lacks transitional quickness after back-pedaling, while also seemingly placing too much trust in his size and speed. This can lead to some technique breakdowns and all-over-the-place hand usage, resulting in a high number of penalties as well as some plays being left on the field.
Patriots preview
What would be his role? Davis would join a cornerback group in New England headed by an experienced starting trio of high quality. Accordingly, he would likely start his career in a rotational capacity and as CB4 play a role similar to that of Charles Woods or Alex Austin in 2025: provide depth and play on special teams before possibly earning a more prominent role further down the road. As for his position in the lineup, he projects primarily as an outside cornerback to back up Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis.
Does he have positional versatility? While best suited to play on the perimeter, Davis did show some flexibility during his college career. He played both field and boundary cornerback and on occasion also moved into the slot and took on some safety assignments. He also saw semi-regular special teams action at Arizona as a vice player on the punt return unit.
What is his growth potential? Davis does have some limitations that might prevent him from ever becoming a true upper-echelon cornerback in the NFL, but his combination of size and speed is nonetheless a good starting point for a successful career. With some technical refinement, he could become a starting outside cornerback by his second or third season in the league.
Why the Patriots? As mentioned earlier, the Patriots are in need of a young, developmental prospect at cornerback to also provide depth behind Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones. Davis would offer that, while also bringing an intriguing profile and the ability to play in a versatile coverage setup like the one New England likes to run under Mike Vrabel.
Why not the Patriots? New England drafting a cornerback before Day 3 seems unlikely, but a somewhat unique player like Davis remaining on the board until the 125th selection in the fourth round is not a given either. Also, with veteran Kindle Vildor added in free agency, the team might be looking for a slot rather than an outside backup cornerback.
One-sentence verdict: Davis is far from a polished product, but he is still fairly young and has some traits that, if properly developed, could make him worthy of a mid-round selection in the Patriots’ eyes.
For more information about Tacario Davis and the rest of this year’s class of prospects, please take a look at Adam’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide.
Also, what do you think about Davis as a potential Patriots target? Do you like him? Where would you pick him? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
