Davis has the athletic ability and scheme versatility to be a contributor
We’ve reached 59 days until the New Orleans Saints open their 2025 regular season. They’ll do so at home against the Arizona Cardinals and with a new head coach Kellen Moore as they embark on their 59th season in the NFL. Wearing No. 59 for the Saints at the moment is a new face — edge rusher Jasheen Davis. If he makes the team, Davis could become the first player to wear No. 59 in a regular season game for the Saints since linebacker Sharif Finch did it for one game in the 2021 campaign. Here’s a closer look at Davis’ background and what led to him becoming a Saint.
- Name (age): Jasheen Davis (23)
- Hometown: Snellville, Ga.
- Position: Defensive end
- Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 270 pounds
- College: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- Relative Athletic Score: N/A
- Drafted: Undrafted in 2025 (New Orleans Saints)
- NFL experience: Rookie
- 2025 salary cap hit: $843,333
A four-star high school recruit, Davis was the 28th ranked player in the state of Georgia and 13th rated defensive end/edge in the country when he decided on Wake Forest. He’d redshirt his true freshman season of 2020, then was voted onto the All-American Freshman Team the following year after 5.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Davis had 7 sacks and 14 negative tackles in 2022, leading the Demon Deacons in both categories. He’d repeat the feat in 2023 with 7.5 sacks and 17 stops for loss, finishing top-5 in the ACC for both stats. His production dipped a bit as a senior in 2024, but 12 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks were both good enough to again lead Wake Forest.
Davis finished his Demon Deacons career with 25.5 sacks and 52 tackles for loss. He is second in school history in tackles for negative yardage and third in sacks. Despite the production, Davis was not selected in the draft this spring. Instead, he was signed to an undrafted rookie contract by the Saints. He’ll compete for a roster spot at a position of great need for New Orleans.
Saints edge rushers and defensive ends combined for just 17 sacks and 27 tackles for loss in 2024, among the lowest in the NFL. This offseason, New Orleans re-signed Chase Young to continue a tandem with Carl Granderson on the outside and return veteran Cam Jordan up front. The team did nothing in free agency, however, leaving disappointing 2023 second round pick Isaiah Foskey as the only depth.
It will be up to Jasheen Davis and 2025 Round 7 draft pick Fadil Diggs to provide competition to Foskey. At Wake Forest, Davis displayed first step explosiveness and the ability to get around the edge in a flash. He’ll need to improve his run defense and consistency for a spot on the roster. However, the size and athleticism that Davis possesses gives him versatility for Brandon Staley’s system and could make him a dark horse contributor for the Saints in 2025.
