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Saints rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport is starting to show up in a big way. During a recent post-practice interview, he talked about being the problem.

Until recently, there were major questions about Saints rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport. Did the Saints overpay to move up to get him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft? Was he a one trick pony with his bull rush? How long would it take him to get up to speed?

Only a couple of games into his NFL career, there were national media outlets like Bleacher Report trying to brand him a bust. While there was a small argument that one could try to make in this regard after two games, Marcus Davenport is quickly starting to show why the Saints had so much faith in him. Enough to trade next years number one pick and a fifth rounder to move up to pick 14 in the 2018 NFL Draft.

In a recent locker room interview, Oct. 15, Davenport was asked about his progress through his first five games. It’s worth noting that he’s currently graded as the NFL’s number 20 defensive end as a rookie with a grade of 76.0 by Pro Football Focus. Not where you’d think a bust would be ranked.

Some things to take away from his brief talk with the media on Monday were how he’s developing from game to game, how he’s learning that the competition will be against himself and topping it off with realizing something major.

The biggest takeaway he’s had to this point is that he doesn’t have to worry about the offensive tackle he’s facing each game. They need to worry about blocking him and he needs to flip the script and realize that he’s “the problem” they’re facing, not the other way around.

With two sacks under his belt now, nine tackles and a forced fumble and his game obviously improving week to week, the method seems to be working. He’s starting to get an increasing number of snaps while still sharing playing time with Alex Okafor.

But with Okafor’s performance falling off from what he put up last year and Davenport’s star on the rise, expect the numbers to quickly go the rookie’s way. Last week, against the Redskins, Davenport was matched up against Trent Williams, Pro Football Focus’ number 17 ranked tackle, and he still came away with a sack.

In Week 7 things get a little tougher as he’ll go up against the Ravens starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley who’s currently graded as the number 11 tackle in the league. But, when it’s all said and done, facing off against Terron Armstead, the number three tackle in the league, every day in practice makes the rest seem like a step down.

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“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill