Jamin

Davis

As Standig points out, this has “been headed this way for on (and seemingly of) field reasons.” In addition to underwhelming on the field, Davis has also been cited twice for reckless driving and recently avoided jail time for his most recent offense. Davis was a first-round pick of former head coach Ron Rivera in 2021 and has totaled 269 tackles and seven sacks for his career. He’s an athletic linebacker who was widely viewed as more of a Day 2 pick and, to date, has done little to live up to his first-round selection. Now under a new regime and coaching staff, Davis will need to prove he’s turned the corner this season if he hopes to sign a lucrative deal next offseason.

Davis was initially facing 30 days in jail for a reckless driving charge from 2022 in Loudoun County, Virginia, after being sentenced to prison last August. The latest and seemingly final decision in this case is a result of Davis’s appeal of the 30-day sentence. Davis is heading into his fourth season as a pro and has underwhelmed through three years. The Commanders will soon need to decide whether they will exercise his fifth-year option for 2025, as 2024 will be a prove-it year in his first season under new head coach Dan Quinn.

Davis suffered the injury in the Commanders’ Week 13 loss to the Dolphins and will now be placed on injured reserve, ending his season. The third-year linebacker has put together one of his better seasons as a pro, totaling 89 tackles, three sacks, and one interception while totaling eight TFLs. The former first-round pick struggled out of the gates early as a pro but has looked serviceable at times this season. He continues to struggle in pass coverage, earning a PFF coverage grade of 56.5 while allowing 35 receptions for 422 yards and three touchdowns, but he’s shown marginal improvement there as well. With a new regime likely to be taking over in the coming months, it will be interesting to see if the Commanders exercise Davis’s fifth-year extension this offseason or if he’ll be forced to play for a new deal in 2024. It’s possible next season is his last in Washington.

Davis was convicted of reckless driving earlier this offseason and sentenced to 30 days in jail plus a suspended license and a fine. In an effort to reduce his prison sentence, his lawyers have now had the case moved to a jury trial, which won’t take place until next year. Davis appears to be in the clear heading into what is somewhat of a “prove it” year in 2023.

According to an article in the Washington Post, Davis has already been convicted and sentenced to 30 days in jail, plus a suspended license and a fine. His appearance in court on Monday is significant because Judge Stephen E. Sincavage of the 20th Judicial Circuit in Loudon County, Virginia, rejected a plea agreement from Davis and his representatives that would have resulted in “no more than eight days of active incarceration.” Davis was clocked going 114 MPH in a 45 MPH zone in the middle of the day and is facing a Class 1 misdemeanor that is punishable with up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine in Virginia. Davis is expected back in court on Thursday.

Per Commanders coach Ron Rivera, this was a “lingering issue from last season.” Davis is currently limited to walkthroughs and meetings in OTAs. He likely will not miss regular season snaps, but this is something to monitor during the offseason and into training camp.

Davis (6’4/234) hits the No. 19 pick shot out of a hype cannon. One of the hottest names in the class, Davis turned in a monster 2020 — quite the year to do so — with 102 tackles and three picks in 10 contests. He boasts insane range and lateral ability paired with ninja-quick reflexes. Davis has just one standout season to fall back on, so there is some bust risk here. Specifically, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein believes Davis needs to “improve his technique in taking on blocks and constricting run lanes.” But if the Kentucky ‘backer can build on his gains from this past season, he might just be scratching the surface of his talent.

Davis (6'4/234) performed well during the 2020 season, as his ability to diagnose plays put him in the right spot far more often than not. But even after leading the Wildcats in tackles, hitting double figures in eight of the team’s ten games, more than a few draft analysts viewed Davis as a Day 3 talent. According to Cummings, that line of thinking has changed as teams have been able to study the linebacker’s game tape. “Now, it seems unlikely that Davis drops out of the Top 100,” Cummings wrote. “Furthermore, if he tests as an elite athlete at Kentucky’s Pro Day on March 31, he could rise into the first two rounds.”

"[Davis] looks so much like Darius Leonard when you study him. You saw the impact Leonard had coming out of the second round. I think this kid is going to find his way into the first round once he gets to the pro day and people get a chance to get their eyes on him,” Jeremiah said while speaking with reporters on a Zoom call. The analyst forwarded the Cleveland Browns -- picking at No. 26 -- as a strong potential fit for the Kentucky standout. We’ll note that while DJ ultimately sees Davis sneaking onto the Day 1 radar, the linebacker has some metaphorical ground to cover before he gets in range. To whit, in a recent seven-round mock draft, Pro Football Network’s AJ Schulte pegged Davis to the Raiders at pick No. 80 (a third-round selection). Davis will have his chance to strut his athletic wares come Kentucky’s pro day on March 31 as he looks to make a final push up draft boards.

Davis is a former three-star recruit from Ludowici, Georgia and is currently redshirt sophomore. He is one of the Wildcats’ “most promising linebackers” and played behind Jordan Jones in 2017. He is expected to miss 3-to-4 weeks, valuable time for a player trying to see the field more. This isn’t expected to be a long-term issue and shouldn’t prevent him from making a big impact for the Wildcats in 2018.