Nebraska twin defensive linemen Carlos and Khalil Davis were both selected on the third day of the NFL Draft Saturday. The Davis twins were All-Big Ten selections on the football field and All-America discus throwers in track and field during their Husker careers.
The Davises are the first brothers in the history of Nebraska football to be selected in the same NFL Draft. They are also the second twins in Husker history to both be chosen in the NFL Draft and are among 11 sets of brothers who played at Nebraska and were then drafted.
Khalil Davis was the first Husker selected, as he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round with the 194th overall pick. Carlos Davis, the older of the Davis twins by five minutes, was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round with the No. 232 overall pick.
Khalil is the 11th Husker to be selected by Tampa Bay and the first since Kenny Bell in 2015. Davis joins a Buccaneer defense that features former Husker All-Americans Ndamukong Suh and Lavonte David, both of whom have been first-team All-Pro selections in their NFL careers. Nebraska inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud, the Huskers' all-time leading tackler, was also drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and Ruud spent six seasons with the Buccaneers during his eight-year professional career. Nebraska has another tie to Tampa Bay, as the Bucs' general manager is Jason Licht, who was born in Fremont and was a member of the Husker football team from 1989 to 1991.
Carlos is the 15th Husker to be selected by Pittsburgh, but just the second this century and the first since Keith Williams in 2011. Davis was the lone defensive linemen chosen by the Steelers in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he is the first Husker defensive lineman to be drafted by the organization. Davis will get the chance to play for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who also coached Nebraska head coach Scott Frost when Frost was a safety with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, his final season in the NFL.
Khalil Davis, DL, 6th Round, 194th Pick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Khalil Davis improved throughout his Husker career, which saw him start as a 4-3 defensive tackle before switching to defensive end in a 3-4 scheme for his final three seasons. A two-time All-Big Ten honoree, Davis made 106 tackles and had 26 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks in 47 career games.
Davis played in 12 games in 2016, and two of his five tackles as a redshirt freshman came behind the line of scrimmage. He played in every game as a sophomore, totaling 15 tackles with four TFLs, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass breakup, setting the stage for a productive final two seasons. Davis was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection as a junior in 2018, when he led the Husker defensive line with 41 tackles, eight TFLs and 3.0 sacks, all of which were career highs. Davis then eclipsed each of those totals en route to third-team All-Big Ten recognition as a senior. In 2019, Davis again led all of Nebraska's defensive linemen in tackles (45, and he led all Huskers with 12 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks.
Nebraska's Defensive Lineman of the Year in both 2018 and 2019, Davis also showed his strength as a thrower for the Husker track and field team. He finished third in the discus at the 2016 Big Ten Outdoor Championships and earned honorable-mention All-America honors with a 23rd-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Khalil Davis, DL, 6th Round, 194th Pick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Khalil Davis improved throughout his Husker career, which saw him start as a 4-3 defensive tackle before switching to defensive end in a 3-4 scheme for his final three seasons. A two-time All-Big Ten honoree, Davis made 106 tackles and had 26 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks in 47 career games.
Davis played in 12 games in 2016, and two of his five tackles as a redshirt freshman came behind the line of scrimmage. He played in every game as a sophomore, totaling 15 tackles with four TFLs, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass breakup, setting the stage for a productive final two seasons. Davis was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection as a junior in 2018, when he led the Husker defensive line with 41 tackles, eight TFLs and 3.0 sacks, all of which were career highs. Davis then eclipsed each of those totals en route to third-team All-Big Ten recognition as a senior. In 2019, Davis again led all of Nebraska's defensive linemen in tackles (45, and he led all Huskers with 12 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks.
Nebraska's Defensive Lineman of the Year in both 2018 and 2019, Davis also showed his strength as a thrower for the Husker track and field team. He finished third in the discus at the 2016 Big Ten Outdoor Championships and earned honorable-mention All-America honors with a 23rd-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
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