New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Marcus Davenport is coming off a rookie campaign in which he played 13 games and registered 22 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
While those are solid numbers for a first-year player, the Saints are hoping for more out of Davenport in 2019, especially considering how much New Orleans originally sacrificed to get him.
Last spring, the Saints traded two first-round draft picks (including this year's) and a fourth-rounder in order to trade up to take Davenport at No. 14, so, obviously, New Orleans is hoping for a good return on its investment:
“We like Marcus, and we’re looking for big things from him,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said, per James Parks of 247 Sports.
Of course, Davenport was not a starter this past season, as he was playing behind Alex Okafor. But now, Okafor is gone, which opens the door for Davenport to start and, in turn, puts the spotlight on the 22-year-old.
The San Antonio native played collegiate football at the University of Texas-San Antonio, spending four years with the school. During his senior campaign, he racked up 55 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, four passes defended and a defensive touchdown, which caught the attention of a lot of teams, including the Saints.
Not known for being a defense-first team, New Orleans is hoping Davenport will bring some pop to the defensive line.
The Saints won 13 games this past season, finishing with the best record in the NFL. They eventually lost to the Los Angeles Rams in controversial fashion in the NFC Championship Game.
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