One of the most important moves the Bucs made this offseason was re-signing cornerback Carlton Davis III.

Davis, who signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Bucs, is Tampa Bay’s top cornerback. He’s their lock-down defender in the secondary and has moved up the rankings as one of the top corners in the league.

Even after missing seven games with a quad injury last season, Davis still led the Bucs with 11 pass breakups. That tied him for No. 22 in the league despite having way fewer opportunities.

Bucs’ Davis Is Almost There

So, what’s next for Davis? Becoming an All-Pro could be on the horizon. According to Bucs cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross, he’s getting pretty close. There’s just one part of his game he has to improve on.

“He’s not far at all,” Ross said. “If Carlton would have caught half the balls he dropped last year, he would’ve been an All-Pro. “That’s why he got rewarded by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first place, because he’s very capable of doing that. He just needs to focus on the ball and finish, and he will be fine.”

Ross hit the nail on the head. If there’s been one flaw in Davis’ game, it’s that he’s dropped a lot of interceptions. On top of that, they haven’t always been difficult passing attempts. He’s had plenty of plays where the ball has hit him right in the hands and he’s failed to haul it in.

Davis has six interceptions in his four-year career in Tampa Bay. After failing to record a pick as a rookie, Davis brought in his first in 2019 and then four in the Bucs’ Super Bowl season in 2020. Davis recorded one interception last year. If he can increase those numbers, being named an All-Pro is within his reach.

Comparing Davis To The Top Of The List

The first team All-Pro corners in 2021 were the Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs and Rams’ Jalen Ramsey. Second-team was the Patrtiots’ J.C. Jackson and A.J. Terrell of the Falcons. None of these corners had fewer than three interceptions. Diggs led the way with 11, followed by Jackson with eight.

As flashy as the plays were by Diggs last season, there were many times he got burnt deep. Many would argue that Davis is the better coverage corner of the two. But whether it’s right or wrong, voters hold the volume of interceptions in high regard, even if that means leaving other responsibilities unnoticed. Davis has the coverage aspect of the position down, but he’ll need to turn those drops into turnovers if he wants to take his reputation to the next level.