Vikings' QB Cousins lauds Webb City product Davidson
Aug. 4—A Webb City football product is making waves in the Minnesota Vikings training camp this week.
Zach Davidson, former standout at Webb City and Central Missouri, piqued the interest of Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins on Wednesday.
Cousins offered up his praise of Davidson in a press conference late Wednesday morning. With tight end Irv Smith Jr. out with a thumb injury that required surgery, Davidson is getting a chance to compete for reps at tight end for Minnesota.
"With Zach, it's really exciting because I see a lot of ability in him," Cousins said. "You see a high ceiling and a desire to work and get better. It's exciting to work with a guy like that where you see all this potential down the road. He's got a lot of downfield speed. He has a lot of size, and that combination gives you a lot of potential as a player."
Davidson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 24th pick in the fifth round (No. 168 overall pick) of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Vikings acquired the pick in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens.
The 2016 Webb City graduate is a former all-stater for John Roderique's Cardinals. Davidson went to UCM as a punter and became involved with the offense as a tight end in 2018.
The next year he became the top tight end in Division II with 40 catches for 894 yards and 15 touchdowns, and he earned All-American honors from five organizations or publications.
Standing at 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, Davidson's 22.35 yards per catch ranked in the top-10 in DII, and his 15 TD catches were sixth in the NCAA and second-most in a season in Mules history.
