Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis has been on a steady rise to stardom over the last few years.

A second-round pick in the 2018 Draft, the former Auburn Tiger really began his upward trajectory in 2019. Then, as Tampa Bay made its run to Super Bowl LV in 2020, Davis became a true No. 1 cornerback. He locked down a number of the game’s top receivers that year, including New Orleans’ Michael Thomas in the NFC Divisional Round. Then, as any lockdown cornerback should, he fired off an all-time tweet at Thomas.

Davis had another impressive year in 2021, despite missing seven games. The Bucs rewarded him this offseason, signing him to a new three-year deal. And while some outlets think he’s on the cusp of being elite, a recent survey of NFL executives, coaches, scouts and players shows that he may not be a top 10 cornerback in the league just yet. Instead, the 25-year-old was listed as an honorable mention. Here’s what the excerpt said about Davis:

Davis has 52 pass deflections in four seasons and plays a lot of man coverage. “He doesn’t get enough credit,” an AFC defensive coach said. “One of the best press corners in the National Football League. He gets up there and takes guys away. He’s just overshadowed by the other stars on that defense.”

How Davis Can Get To The Next Level

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Whether it’s true or not that Davis is overshadowed by the likes of Devin White, Lavonte David, Shaquil Barrett, Vita Vea and Antoine Winfield Jr., it’s not out of line to say he doesn’t get quite enough credit. But what’s really keeping him from that top-tier status is his lack of interceptions. He gets his hands on plenty of passes, but he has just six career interceptions. Four of those came in 2020, while he had just one in 2019 and another in 2021.

Tampa Bay defensive backs coach Kevin Ross said earlier this offseason that Davis would’ve been an All-Pro if he had caught half of the balls he dropped last year. That’s the next step for the Bucs’ No. 1 corner. Fair or not, cornerbacks are judged on interceptions. Based on overall body of work, Davis probably had a much better year than Dallas’ Trevon Diggs last year. But Diggs finished the season with 11 interceptions. That’s why he earned a Pro Bowl nod. It’s also why he was named an All-Pro.

It’s not that Davis needs 11 interceptions to climb the ranks of the cornerback hierarchy in the NFL. He just needs to up his total a bit. His talent and consistency have made him a lockdown corner for Tampa Bay. But because he isn’t flashy and he doesn’t have the turnover numbers, he’s still looked at as a guy who’s on the edge of greatness. Unless he can turn some of those those passes defended into interceptions, he might find himself in that purgatory forever.