By Nick Wagoner
Staff Writer

Thomas Davis has become one of the most widely-debated players in this year’s draft. Usually, heated debates about players are caused by off the field problems or character questions, but the questions surrounding Davis deal almost solely with what position he should play at the next level.

Is Davis an oversized, hard-hitting, intimidating strong safety along the lines of Steve Atwater? Or is he a slightly smaller, fast, ultra-athletic linebacker in the mold of Derrick Brooks?

“I have been hearing a lot about moving some of the bigger safeties to linebacker,” Davis said. “Just given what a team needs, I will be willing to go in and play anything.”

This debate will be settled sometime on Saturday when Davis hears his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft. Some teams have Davis rated as the No. 1 safety in the draft, but he can just as easily be found as the No. 2 outside linebacker on many draft boards.

This confusion doesn’t bother Davis at all. In fact, he is just glad that the debate is down to two positions. At Randolph-Clay High in Shellman, Ga., Davis played a number of positions, including running back, quarterback, defensive end, defensive back, wide receiver and kickoff returner. Oh, by the way, Davis also handled some kicking and punting chores.

All of that made Davis one of the most versatile players in the country coming out of high school. As he prepares to enter the NFL, not much has changed except the list of positions has been trimmed to two.

Like his high school years, Davis doesn’t care which position he ends up playing.

“I’d be willing to go anywhere, play anything,” Davis said.

That attitude has no doubt made Davis a hot commodity among NFL teams heading into this weekend. There are a number of teams, such as New Orleans, that absolutely love Davis as a linebacker,  while others, like the Rams, wouldn’t mind seeing him line up at strong safety. 

The biggest problem with that is that the Saints hold the 16th pick in the draft, three spots ahead of St. Louis. Of course, other teams wouldn’t mind grabbing Davis either, including Kansas City at No. 15. 

It isn’t often that a player is considered to have equal potential at more than one position in the NFL. It is even rarer for that player to have equal first-round potential for a pair of positions.

But, as Rams general manager Charley Armey can attest, Davis is that rare player.

“We have him rated as a safety," Armey said. "He could play either. If you look at him on tape, he's fast, he's big, he's strong. We were looking at him this morning and we don't see anything he can't do that he needs to do at either position. He's really a top-flight player."

Davis’ long-running versatility should come as no surprise for the player who counts Deion Sanders, Lawrence Taylor and Ronnie Lott among the players he looked up to when he was younger. Davis even owns a throwback Lott jersey that he wears with pride.

Taking that into account, one would think Davis prefers safety, but he is ready to take on any challenge with the same vigor he did at Georgia. Despite all of his high school success, Davis had limited college offers. It wasn’t until the Bulldogs came in at the last minute that landed Davis with a Division I scholarship offer. Had it not been for Georgia’s offer, Davis might have ended up at a much smaller school.

Davis redshirted as a freshman in 2001, adding some weight and figuring out what his best college position would be. He started four games at safety in 2002 before a breakout 2003 season.

He made 138 tackles with 4.5 sacks and an interception. That was just a precursor to his big final season in Athens in 2004. Davis was an All-American last season after posting 81 tackles, three sacks and an interception.

With one year of eligibility left, Davis decided the time was right to declare for this year’s draft. There were many reasons for that, but there was one major motivating factor.

“There were so many factors that played in to me coming out, but the main factor was that I have a 1-year old son to take care of,” Davis said.

Despite Davis’ physical prowess, there are still some questions about what he can do at the next level at either position. If he plays linebacker, some would say he is undersized for the position and doesn’t have a lot of experience there.
If Davis is a safety, some say he is too big for the position and might lack the speed to play in coverage. Davis doesn’t mind those questions and feels he has shown enough to prove he is capable.

“I think that will be a question at times, but I feel like I can show teams that I have the speed to go out and cover,” Davis said.  “I have to work on being in open space, going against faster receivers in the NFL. It won’t be like it was in college, because in the NFL everyone is going to be good.”

In spite of all of the questions and rumors circulating, there is one undeniable fact about Davis that will not be overlooked when the draft starts on Saturday. Although he might be a man without a set position, whether he is a great safety or a great linebacker, he definitely has what it takes to become a great football player.

“I’m a guy who is going to work hard and come in with a lot of intensity,” Davis said. “I feel like I can bring a lot to a team.”

No matter which position he brings it to.