Getty Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch during a training camp session on July 28, 2021.
The list of potential defensive backs in a San Francisco 49ers uniform continues to grow, as more meetings are in the process of getting set up or have been completed already for aspiring 2022 NFL draft prospects.
But for one defender who called himself “relentless, smart and nasty” in his conversation with NFL insider Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network released on Tuesday, April 12, the defender confirmed he has spoken to the 49ers.
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Defender Became Ball-Hawk in the Pac-12
Vonte Davis of Utah did a Zoom meeting with the 49ers, per Wilson.
Utah safety Vonte Davis: ‘Relentless, smart, nasty ballhawk’ @Utah_Football @Snakeee99 #NFLDraft2022 #49ers #Chiefs
He’s the second 6-foot-1 safety to land on the meeting list with the ‘Niners. On Monday, Wilson reported that Leon O’Neal of Texas A&M has a future meeting set up with the S.F. front office.
@WakeEmUp9 @AggieFootball @seniorbowl @JimNagy_SB @UniSportsMgmt Texas A&M safety Leon O’Neal has Zoom meetings with the Zoom meetings with the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Cowboys, 49ers, and Indianapolis Colts, among other meetings #Vikings #Packers #Ravens #Cowboys #49ers #Colts #nfldraft2022
But for Davis, who also starred at the junior college football level at Blinn College in Texas, he credits his experiences in a Utes uniform for molding him into the aggressive defender that he became.
“I’m a relentless, smart, nasty ballhawk safety. That’s what Utah built in me,” Davis told Wilson.
It’s clear that his style of play has caught the attention of general manager John Lynch — known for his own hard-hitting style during his Hall of Fame career — and the 49ers’ brass.
‘Snake’ & ‘Eraser’
Davis doesn’t just call himself the three adjectives. He also calls himself “snake” on his Twitter page.
But his former defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley has another name for Davis: “Eraser.”
Why? Davis shows off his closing speed in eliminating potential big gains and becomes the man who erases the scoring opportunity.
“He was an absolute eraser,” Scalley said in a Twitter video showcasing Davis on film. “To be considered an eraser, you have to have speed.”
The first two clips Scalley points out has Davis taking down two past 100-meter track stars and the fastest options on Washington and Stanford in Sean McGrew and Bryce Farrell, respectively.
NFL Draft Profile Home Edits Edition#1 brings us Vonte Davis @Snakeee99 ‼️ This dude is an absolute eraser, and would be a big addition to any NFL team!! #SafetyPride
He also exploded into USC’s Drake London in the 34-second mark of the above clip — the same London projected to be a top-15 pick in the April 28 first round of the draft.
Davis’ Emergence at Salt Lake City
The native of Rosenberg, Texas went from the JUCO realm, to only being offered by one Power Five school in Utah according to 247Sports to emerging as a starter for the Utes…and becoming one of their best hitters on a stout defense.
Per Utah’s website, Davis would go on to play in 47 games with 19 total starts. He showed glimpses of his ability to close fast on ball carriers by playing on special teams during his first season at Salt Lake City, including snatching two tackles against Oregon. He remained on special teams for the 2019 season until moving into the starting lineup for the truncated 2020 season — which saw him tying a team-high with two interceptions. One came in the upset of previous unbeaten Washington:
We’ll take that!
Vonte Davis with a huge pick after clutch coverage by JaTravis Broughton!
The 2021 campaign ended up becoming his best season in Salt Lake City: Collecting 62 tackles (third-most in the secondary) and delivered four games of producing seven tackles — versus BYU, No. 18 Arizona State, Arizona and No. 3 ranked Oregon.
And along with closing in and blowing up London, he snatched an interception in that 42-26 romp of USC on October 9.
Davis told Wilson that heading to Utah humbled him.
“It made me appreciate everything and I learned how to become a smarter athlete by doing all the little things,” Davis said.
Now, the “snake and eraser” or “relentless, smart and nasty ballhawk” has drawn interest from the 49ers after completing an interactive meeting with them.
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49ers Meet With ‘Relentless, Smart & Nasty’ 2022 Safety Prospect: Insider