Former New Orleans Saints 1st-round pick quickly earns bust label with new team

Is a former New Orleans Saints player already in trouble with a new team?

Trouble, meaning flirting with bust territory?

The subject of this buzz is defensive lineman Marcus Davenport, a first-round pick by the Saints in 2018 who spent five seasons with the team, then appeared in just four games last season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox identified Davenport as one of eight free agents on a bust list as training camp nears an end:

“Davenport has had exactly one "good" season out of six with the Saints and Minnesota Vikings. He produced nine sacks in 2021. In his other five campaigns, he averaged just under three sacks per season.”

Despite the attendance woes, Davenport earned a prove-it deal for $6.5 million with the Detroit Lions this offseason. One would think playing on the same front as Aidan Hutchinson and others might help him produce one of his best seasons to date as a pro, yet he started his journey there on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Given the overall talent of the Detroit defense, things might just go either way if Davenport can stay on the field. Either way, the Saints have since moved on and will rely on a prove-it deal of their own that could go boom or bust with former second overall pick Chase Young.

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