Feel Free To Push Up The Due Date On The Marcus Davenport Project

#Saints DE Marcus Davenport made a name for himself on MNF last night but he's been flashing each week. Certainly quieting any critics so far.

- 2 Sacks, 2 TFL, FF, 2 PD
- 7th Best Run Defense Grade Out Of 98 Edge Defenders, per PFF
- 18th Ranked Edge Defender Out Of 98, per PFF pic.twitter.com/K7cTuXDQKs

— Steve Frederick (@SportsGuyTweets) October 9, 2018

The term 'project' can be a scary one in the world of sports. It implies uncertainty. Calls for the acceptance of an above average possibility of failure. Demands patience from those either in or invested in a field in which instant gratification is not only paramount to success, but also key to unlocking some job security. For that reason, trading two first round picks that are typically viewed as immediate contributors for a 'project' at a pressing position of need (that isn't quarterback) is about as comforting an idea amongst predominantly risk averse football minds as...well...trading with Bill Belichick.

Luckily for the Saints, Marcus Davenport is no ordinary project. What's been fairly obvious throughout the first five games of his career is that it's not as if the Saints chose to return from IKEA to a painstaking process that will inevitably be elongated by coming to find out that an unexpected piece is missing from the box when they moved up and select a 6'6 freak of an athlete out of small school in San Antonio. Instead, his drafting already compares favorably to deciding upon paying extra for the delivery of a performance mattress while knowing it'll take some breaking in. Not every intricacy of being a well-rounded, every down pass rusher that's tasked with facing the most trusted member of each opposing offensive line has quite yet sunken in, but Marcus Davenport's physical makeup is helping him conform and become more and more comfortable with each passing game...

.@saints #saints @MarcusJD84 #marcusdavenport #whodat. Look Out @NFL. The prospect is getting good FAST. Could he be the missing component to a SUPER BOWL RUN? #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/C3PerYEv27

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 9, 2018

​Consider that Trent Williams is unquestionably a genetic anomaly in his own right...

At 320 lbs offensive lineman Trent Williams can move □ kept pace with Adrian Peterson during the entire drill□ pic.twitter.com/kFfiPcHyRc

— Dragon Den Sports (@DragonDenSports) July 18, 2018

...and it becomes even more impressive that Marcus Davenport was able to overpower and outmaneuver him on multiple occasions.

If only because of how much better he could be with more seasoning, 'raw' is still an accurate way to describe a player that manages to defy his size for the better on a weekly basis. With that being the case, he's raw like premium quality sushi that was rolled by an amateur chef. We're just getting a taste of the absurd things he's capable of, even if the bites are a bit inconsistent for the time being. Marcus Davenport is a project, just not the kind that requires anywhere near as much maintenance as other front offices feared.