Drafted by Cincinnati in the fourth round (107th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft. Re-signed with the Bengals to a one-year contract on 3/13/24. Signed a two-year contract with the Cardinals on 3/13/25.
2024: Appeared in all 17 games (seven starts) and set career highs in tackles (77), tackles for loss (four) and passes defensed (four) … also had one QB hit, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as well as five tackles on special teams … had two tackles on defense and one on special teams in the season opener vs. NE (9/8) … registered three tackles and intercepted Patrick Mahomes for a 12-yard return @ KC (9/15) … recorded a tackle for a loss and added one tackle on special teams vs. Bal (10/6) … posted two tackles as well as two special teams tackles @ Cle (10/20) … recorded two tackles, including one for a loss vs. Phi (10/27) … had a tackle on defense and another on special teams as well as a pass defensed @ Bal (11/7) … started vs. Pit (12/1) and had a game-high 13 tackles and one QB hit … tallied nine tackles and a pass defensed @ Dal (12/9) … started for the third consecutive game @ Ten (12/15) and had 12 tackles … registered six tackles, including one for loss, and forced a Marvin Mims fumble @ Den (12/28) … started @ Pit (1/4/25) and totaled 12 tackles (eight solo) and recovered a Calvin Austin fumble.
2023: Played 13 games (one start) and had 16 tackles (10 solo), a tackle for loss and one tackle on special teams … saw game action in the season opener @ Cle (9/10) … posted two tackles @ Bal (9/17), including one for loss … made his only start of the season @ Bal (11/16) and had one tackle … tallied three tackles in the season finale vs. Cle (1/7/24).
2022: Appeared in 16 regular season games (one start) … recorded 37 tackles, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and nine tackles on special teams … also appeared in all three postseason games and had one tackle, a pass defensed and an interception in addition to five special teams tackles … had a career-high 13 tackles, including one for a loss @ NYJ (9/25) … had one tackle and a pass defensed vs. Mia (9/29) … recorded a team-high nine tackles (six solo) in his only start of the season vs. Atl (10/23) … recovered a Jacoby Brissett fumble @ Cle (10/31); it marked the first fumble recovery of his career … had six tackles (one for loss) vs. Car (11/6) … made his postseason debut in the Wild Card Round vs. Bal (1/15/23) where he intercepted Tyler Huntley and had four tackles on special teams … had one tackle in the Divisional Round @ Buf (1/22/23) … posted one special teams tackle in the AFC Championship Game vs. KC (1/29/23).
2021: Played nine games and had 26 tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble … added two special teams tackles … recorded seven tackles (five solo) @ Pit (9/19) … had two tackles and a pass defensed vs. Jax (9/30) … collected five solo tackles and a pass defensed @ Det (10/17) … posted five tackles, one pass defensed and forced a Mark Andrews fumble @ Bal (10/24); that was the first forced fumble of his career … had three tackles @ NYJ (10/31).
2020: Appeared in 16 games (two starts) as a rookie and recorded 26 tackles (16 solo), a half sack, one INT, two QB hits, three passes defensed and five special teams tackles … made NFL debut vs. LAC (9/13) and had three tackles and a QB hit … tallied two tackles and a split sack of Gardner Minshew vs. Jax (10/4), the first sack of his NFL career … made his first career start @ Bal (10/11) and registered four tackles and a pass defensed … posted 10 tackles and an interception of Lamar Jackson in the regular season finale vs. Bal (1/3/21); marked the first INT of his NFL career.
Played five seasons (2015-19) at Appalachian State where he appeared in 56 games and registered 256 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 17 passes defensed, one interception, two forced fumbles and a blocked field goal … earned Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt accolades in 2019 after playing all 14 games and posting 102 tackles (14.5 for loss), 5.0 sacks, eight passes defensed, one interception and a blocked field goal … selected to the All-Sun Belt second team after he started all 13 games in 2018 and led the team with 105 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles … played all 13 games in 2017 and totaled 33 tackles (24 solo) … in 2016, saw game action in all 13 contests and finished the year with 16 tackles (three for loss), 1.5 sacks and one pass defensed … appeared in three games as a freshman in 2015.
Last name pronounced "Davis-GAY-thur" … attended Thomasville (NC) High School where was named the Central Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was second-team all-state as a senior in 2014 after tallying 115 tackles, five sacks, 33 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles … earned three letters in track and field, two in basketball and one in baseball in addition to four in football … his father, Keith Gaither, is currently the special teams coordinator/running backs coach at the University of Virginia.
