Congrats to Ashtyn Davis, who was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round, 68th overall!

Marshall Cherrington @MWCherrington

LETS GO BABY!!! STEAL!!!!!!! @ashtyndavis27 #GoBears

April 25th 2020

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Some might see this as a disappointment given that Davis had been graded and mocked as a late–first round pick. The coronavirus situation probably didn’t help Davis; due to recovery from a groin injury, Davis was unable to perform at the NFL Combine and instead decided to recover and wait for the Cal Pro Day. However, due to rules of shelter-in-place to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, the event had to be cancelled and Davis was unable to perform for scouts.

Still, Davis is the first Bear to be drafted since the 2018 NFL Draft, when Devante Downs and James Looney were drafted in the seventh round—seven picks apart from one another.

For the track and field team, he’s a Pac-12 Champion in the 110-m hurdles with a time of 13.5 seconds in 2017. But what really counts in the Draft (besides hand size) is what you do on the football field, which is where Davis was a game-changing talent.

In his first year on campus (2014–15), Davis was not a member of the football team—he was a scholarship student on the track and field team. After walking-on to the football team and redshirting in 2015, Davis finally achieved his dream in the 2016 season and saw gridiron action as a cornerback in all twelve games, improving to starter in the final three.

With the arrival of Justin Wilcox in 2017, Davis cemented himself in the minds of many Cal fans as a founding member of the Takers, roaming around in the defensive backfield. Moving to safety and serving as kick returner for his final three seasons, Davis played in 36 games (missing the final two games of his senior year due to injury) with 30 starts. Davis will be remembered for his elite speed and ability to deliver hard—but clean—hits, resulting in his presence being felt seemingly wherever opposing offenses chose to put the ball. For his character and performance, Davis earned internal recognition with a number of Cal awards as well as external praise with all-conference and national recognition, including being named a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy in honor of the nation’s best player to start as a walk-on. Davis graduated from Cal with degrees in legal studies and social welfare.

Congrats to Ashtyn and we look forward to watching you in the NFL!