All-22: Why CB Davon House Would Be a Fit

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Davon House has been clear about what he wants from the next phase of his career: a starting gig.

“I know I can play,” he said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I truly believe the film says I can play in this league. If my film doesn’t show it, I don’t mind playing special teams. But I think my film shows I’m a starter.”

House (6-1, 195) spent his first four NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, but only made 14 starts at cornerback. Injuries (a pair of shoulder issues) have derailed him as House has missed nine games in the past three seasons.

He played 48.1 percent of Green Bay’s snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus. He was at 53.1 percent in 2013 and 58 percent in 2012. When healthy, the 25-year-old has shown he has the talent and size to be an every-down player.

Scheduled to be a free agent, House seems like a lock to earn a starting gig in 2015. It’s just a matter of where. The Packers certainly could have an opening with 31-year-old Tramon Williams set to hit the market. But House should get a look from plenty of teams in free agency, and below is a look at why the Eagles could be one of the squads showing interest.

House is at his best when he’s up at the line of scrimmage playing man coverage. In the play below, he lines up in press against Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones.

House runs with Jones down the sideline, gets his head around and makes a play on the ball.

Another example against Jones – this one in the red zone. House stays with Jones on the fade, finds the football, leaps and nearly comes down with an interception.

In the games I watched, House was excellent on balls downfield. Pro Football Focus had him down for one completion of 25+ yards on 259 coverage snaps, and on that one play, the safety was actually more at fault than House.

House has the size to match up with big, physical receivers, and he’s athletic enough to stick with guys downfield.

The results are more mixed when he’s in zone playing off the line of scrimmage.

Here is House in Cover 3 at the bottom of the screen. He gets turned around and allows a relatively easy 18-yard completion to Jones:

There were several plays like this in the games I watched.

But House had some impressive snaps in zone also. Here he is in Cover 3 again. He sticks with Calvin Johnson on a double move, chases down the overthrown pass and comes down with the interception.

House is not great in run support, but he’s not a liability either. And he’s a sound tackler in coverage.

House has all the tools to be a quality starting cornerback in the Eagles’ scheme. He’s young, has good size, can play man coverage and has shown flashes of being a really good player.

In a perfect world, the Eagles would be able to sign Byron Maxwell and House. But if the bidding for Maxwell gets too rich for their liking, don’t be surprised if the Birds quickly shift their attention to bringing House in as a starter.