Every draft season, there is just that one guy you fall in love with and will defend at all costs. The affectionate name being your “draft crush”. This years draft crush for me is Jamin Davis. He is a do it all, uber athletic SEC linebacker who has some great tape. Davis is possibly the most natural linebacker in the class.
College: Kentucky
Position: Linebacker
Number: #44
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 234 lbs
2020 Stats: 10 games played/48 SOLO/102 TOTAL/1 Forced Fumble/3 Interceptions/1.5 Sacks
Strengths
1.Jamin Davis is a smooth operator at all times. He has great flow post-snap and just seems to slide through gaps. He is an explosive athlete who has great hip movement and flows with run blocks beautifully. Watching Davis play is like watching football ballet.
2.It is incredibly rare to find someone with Davis’ tackle radius. He squares his hips up nearly every time and has flexible hips to help him make tackles at difficult angles if ball carriers make a move. Jamin is also very aware of his radius and uses boundaries and zone help to corner ball carriers into his massive radius.
3.Davis is one of the best cover linebackers in the draft. He is great at sticking in the pockets of tight ends, running backs, and even slot receivers up seams. Jamin shows an exceptional ability to play with high hips and react quickly to breaks in the opposing offenders routes.
Weakness
1.One worry is that Jamin Davis was only a one year starter. He did dominate in the SEC for his one year but the problem is that his football IQ is not as sharp as I would like. He can bite on the fake reads and needs to get better at being decisive with his run fits.
Conclusion
Jamin Davis is exactly what defenses look for as far as measurables and athleticism goes. His best fit is as a 4-3 WILL so that he can be let loose in the pass game without the responsibilities of playing MIKE. Davis does however offer the upside and athleticism to play MIKE. He will be a high impact player with a ceiling to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL.
Draft Projection: Late First Round
Pro Comparison: Demario Davis
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[…] KPL or getting someone else”. Well, they got that someone else, and its Kentucky ILB Jamin Davis. They were linked to Micah Parsons, but they were only going to get him if they moved into the top […]