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Thursday night when the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers meet to open the National Football League’s season there will be very familiar faces. The Panthers are returning 18 starters and the Broncos are returning 14, nine of those on defense.

One face on the vaunted Broncos’ defense will be making just his fourth career start and will be relied on for the entire season for the first time in his career. Todd Davis has assumed a starting inside linebacker role after longtime Bronco and well-liked Danny Trevathan departed for Chicago. Trevathan’s departure has brought some trepidation amongst Broncos fans but not his closest teammate on the field.

“He’s looked fantastic,” fellow inside linebacker Brandon Marshall said Tuesday of Davis’ progress. “I knew he’d fit right in and step right in and play well. He’s going to make a name for himself.”

Davis came to the Broncos in November of 2014 during his rookie season after being waived by the New Orleans Saints. Ten days later, he hit the field for the Broncos and four weeks later he made consecutive starts, the first of his career. He was relegated to the special teams but also saw limited time on defense, gaining two more career starts but just playing in 130 snaps. This season he has prepared well on and off the field and has studied his predecessor closely.

“I learned a lot from Danny [Trevathan]. Just watching his film in the offseason really taught me a lot and got me prepared for what I’m going to have to do this season,” Davis stated Tuesday.

Marshall, who had grown close with Trevathan, having rehabilitated from serious injuries alongside each other and then reaching the heights they did together in 2015, sees some similarities between the two linebackers but gives Davis the edge in one important category.

“It’s tough because Danny [Trevathan] played the run extremely well but Todd [Davis] might be the best run stopper at linebacker we have,” Marshall said. “He’s stout, he knows where he is going, he’s physical, he hits the ball carrier and they don’t get any extra yards.”

Trevathan left with valuable experience, something Davis lacks but Marshall believes he will settle in nicely after a few games.

“Really, experience is really going to slow it down for him. You can’t teach that and once [Davis] gets that he’s going to be even better,” Marshall said confidently. “We’ve talked about preparation, we talked about coverage, we talked about keys, about different tips that can help him be where he is supposed to be to make plays.”

The duo will be asked to get the bulk of the tackles this season. Last year Trevathan and Marshall, the top two tacklers on the team, respectively, combined for 211 tackles (over 100 a piece) and now Davis will have to fill that void. Tuesday, Davis stated the duo is coming along nicely and shed some light into how they view themselves in 2016.

“I think it is going great,” he said. “We’ve been really able to bond of the last couple of months. We even nicknamed ourselves “lightning and thunder.” He’s the lightning, I’m the thunder.”

Davis was certainly a part of the Super Bowl Championship winning team last season but as the franchise moves forward they have placed a lot of stock in their new starter. Tuesday, several players remarked that they have full confidence in Davis and he certainly feels the same way.

“It’s amazing,” Davis said trying unsuccessfully to hold back a wide smile. “It’s huge to me to get out there, be named a starter and to be able to play all 70 plays a game and be able to show guys my talent. I’m just excited and can’t wait until Thursday. I’m ready to go.”

He is joining a cocky bunch and his fellow heavy-hitter inside, Marshall, could only add to Davis’ bravado saying, “I just told him to get his celebration dance ready.”