According to reports, free safety Sean Davis is expected to join the Redskins on a one-year deal.
Davis, 26, was a 2016 second-round pick who played his first four NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 48 games (41 starts), the 6-foot-1, 202-pound free safety totaled 247 tackles (190 solo), 20 pass breakups and five interceptions.
Davis was named as the starting free safety for the 2019 season, but he played just one game before suffering a shoulder injury that kept him on Injured Reserve for the rest of the year.
The Redskins currently have two free safeties in Montae Nicholson and Troy Apke. Davis will likely compete with those two players for the right to start alongisde strong safety Landon Collins. Here are five things to know about Davis.
1. He played high school football in D.C.
The Redskins' roster is filled with local talent, including players like Dwayne Haskins and Jonathan Allen. Davis would be the next player to join that group.
Davis was homeschooled for nine years in Prince George's County and attended Maret High School in Washington, D.C., where he was one of the top players in the area and in the country. As a mainstay for Maret at cornerback, he was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 3 player in the District and the No. 30 player in the country by 247Sports.
Davis recorded 87 tackles, three forced fumbles and three interceptions in his senior year. He also ran for 823 yards, posted 601 receiving yards and accounted for 17 total touchdowns.
What's more impressive is that Davis didn't start playing football until his junior year. He was part of a Maret football team that only had 24 players and had never produced an NFL player.
2. He stayed local by attending the University of Maryland.
Davis had several Division I offers after his senior season, including North Carolina, Boston College and Connecticut. He ultimately chose to stay close to home by attending the University of Maryland.
After serving as a role player during his freshman year, Davis started all 13 games at safety as a sophomore and had 102 tackles for an average of 7.8 per game, which was ninth in the ACC that year. One of best highlights came during Maryland's game against Florida State when he recorded 12 tackles, which was a career-high at the time.
Davis also transitioned to cornerback in his junior year and was second on the team with 115 tackles. That number was fourth-highest nationally and first in the Big Ten for defensive backs.
Davis finished his career at Maryland with 318 tackles and five interceptions. He also had 19 pass breakups, six forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks.
3. He grew up admiring Sean Taylor.
Davis already has something in common with Collins: they both grew up admiring Sean Taylor.
Davis grew up as a Redskins fan, so he became intimately familiar with Taylor's aggressive style and knowledge of the sport. Like Collins, Davis has tried to mold his own style after Taylor's. He even chose No. 21 -- Taylor's old number -- as his jersey number in 2018 and 2019.
"I just loved how he imposed his will on people," Davis said during his NFL Scouting Combine performance. "[Receivers] were scared to come across the field."
Davis also related to Taylor on a personal level. He said Taylor often seemed quiet and "to himself," which was how Davis described himself.
"I just loved everything about him."
Seeing as how no Redskin has worn a No. 21 jersey since Taylor, it's unlikely that Davis would be able to keep that tradition. But the thought of a secondary that models its skillset after the Redskins great would be a formidable challenge for offenses.
4. He's been a part of stingy defenses.
The Steelers have long been one of the more successful franchises in the NFL. The years that Davis was on the team from 2016-19 were no exception, as they went 33-14 in his first three seasons. He was on Injured Reserve for the final year of his contract in 2019.
But Davis played a pivotal role in turning out some of the stingiest Steelers defense in recent years. He only started one game during his rookie year in 2016, but he helped Pittsburgh finish the season with a top 10 defense in points allowed.
Davis became the starting strong safety in 2017, and the Steelers defense got even better by finishing seventh in points allowed and fifth in points allowed.
Although he was injured in his final year, Davis' production would be a welcomed addition to the Redskins defense.
5. He's trilingual.
By all accounts, Davis is an intelligent player. He majored in communications at Maryland and was able to switch from safety to cornerback with ease.
He also happens to speak three languages.
Davis speaks English, French and Chinese, which is impressive considering that all three of those have different root languages (English is a Germanic language, while French has Romantic roots).
Davis admitted in a post-draft interview that he only knows “some Chinese,” but he would probably still be the most fluent speaker on the Redskins roster.
