Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
There will be something different in New York Jets training camp for the first time in Rex Ryan‘s NFL head coaching career. Veteran linebacker Bart Scott won’t be there, and now it’s Demario Davis‘s time to shine.
The Jets drafted the 24-year-old Davis in the third round of the 2012 draft, and they groomed him to be Scott’s heir apparent. Now, with the Jets getting younger on defense, there’s a ton of pressure on Davis to step up.
Inside linebacker might be one of the few positions for the Jets that already have their presumptive starters, sans a training camp position battle. David Harris and Demario Davis will almost certainly lock down those spots.
“David [Harris] is my guy.” Davis told NewYorkJets.com recently. “[He's] the quarterback of the defense. … Just having confidence beside him that he’s going to make all the right calls makes it a lot easier for [me].”
The 6’2, 239-lb Davis is a key cog for Rex Ryan’s defense, especially since he’s replacing a guy in Bart Scott who was one of the most selfless run defenders the NFL has seen in recent memory, a role he played very well.
“I wanted to be stronger and have more of a body presence in the run game,” Davis said. “So I really attacked the weight room this offseason and it’s looking good. Faster and stronger is what it’s about.”
Like many on the Jets defense this season, Davis is young and relatively unproven, but the coaching staff has full confidence that he will part of the youth movement that revitalizes a unit that aims to be elite once again.
Demario Davis’s development will be a major litmus test for the Jets defense in 2013. If he can be everything that the Jets think he can be, it’ll be fun to watch. One way or another, Davis will get his shot to prove them right.
Jon Presser is www.RantSports.com’s New York Jets Lead Columnist
Follow him on Twitter @metsjetsnets88 and on Google+
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