Detroit Lions select Jarrad Davis
With the 21st-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected Jarrad Davis out of the University of Florida.
Davis missed the combine, but boy did he put on a show at the Florida Gators’ pro day in Gainesville. The former SEC star outdid all of the competition at his position, jumping 38.5 inches in the vertical, while running a 4.56 40-yard dash and measuring 129 inches in the broad jump. Had those have been at the combine, all three would have been position-best marks.
At Florida, Davis started for two years and was a contributor in his freshman and sophomore campaigns. Last year, Davis was named to the second-team All-SEC squad, despite missing a month of action with a leg injury.
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 238
40-time: N/A
Bench: N/A
Vertical: N/A
Broad: N/A
3-cone: N/A
Coming out of an elite program, Davis has been well-schooled and it shows on film. He rarely gets lost in space, something many linebackers have to work through as they learn to trust their eyes. There’s little question about the intellect of this player.
Davis should be a three-down linebacker from the jump, playing both the run and pass. The youngster has the hips to drop into coverage and the physicality to rip a guard off him before making the stop. At the very least, the Georgia native should be a key contributor immediately on special teams and against the run.
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Davis is replacing DeAndre Levy, who was released this offseason. The Lions now have another quality piece in the front seven to add to an already solid group.