Pass rusher Marcus Davenport has had his fair share of injuries since the New Orleans Saints made him the 14th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. As talented as they come, this has impacted his ability to be a consistent performer on defense in the Bayou.
However, this latest information regarding the 25-year-old Davenport is even more eye-opening. In talking to the media from New Orleans minicamp on Wednesday, the edge rusher indicated that he had the top of his left pinky finger amputated due to a recurring infection dating back to his days with Texas-San Antonio in college. This is real. Actually amputated.
For us old-school football people, the first thing that comes to mind is Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott. Then a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Lott had his broken pinky finger amputated in April of 1986 in order to avoid a long-term absence that would have come with surgery. Lott ended up playing 14 games that season, recording a league-high 10 interceptions.
As for Marcus Davenport, he also underwent off-season shoulder surgery. Despite this, the talented defender should be ready for training camp. That’s all sorts of crazy.
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Marcus Davenport as an important figure for the 2022 Saints
Despite these two off-season surgeries, Davenport figures to play a huge role for new head coach Dennis Allen on defense in 2022. When he’s been on the field, the still-young edge rusher has been extremely productive. He recorded 16 QB hits and nine sacks in 11 games last season.
If healthy, Davenport will help anchor a pass-rush group that consists of Cameron Jordan and Payton Turner. These three will be needed with Tom Brady doing his thing in the NFC South for another season.
Defense is ging to be key for a Saints team that will likely continue to struggle to an extent on the other side of the ball with Jameis Winston under center.