Jamin Davis Is Dark Horse Rookie of the Year Candidate
By Peter Dewey
Jamin Davis soared up draft boards leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, and now he is soaring up the odds board for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Davis is now third on WynnBET’s odds list to win the award at +900. He trails only Micah Parsons (+500) and Jaelen Phillips (+650). The Washington Football Team linebacker has turned some heads during minicamp, and it’s not crazy to think he could be one of the top rookies defensively in 2021.
“He’s got a chance to be special,” Washington safety Jeremy Reaves said of Davis. “He’s very instinctual, very smart, he understands the game, he understands leverages, passing concepts. The kid's got it all honestly.”
Davis started one season, his junior year, at the University of Kentucky, and he was magnificent. In 10 games, Davis tallied 102 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three interceptions.
Washington certainly wanted to bolster its linebacking core this offseason, and by taking Davis at No. 19 overall, it almost assured that he would be a major part of the team’s defense in 2021.
Davis has a few things going for him if he wants to win the DROY award. First off, Washington had the league’s No. 2 defense in terms of total yards allowed last season, and the Football Team has returned most of its key contributors.
That should allow Davis a chance to shine with so many great defenders around him. In addition, Davis’ unique ability as a tackler should help him.
Darius Leonard, the only linebacker to win the award in the past eight seasons, led the NFL with 163 tackles in his rookie season. While Davis may not put up those numbers, he has proven that he can rack up tackles at an impressive rate (10.2 per game last season at Kentucky).
At +900 odds, Davis is a sneaky dark horse to win the award. While pass rushers have traditionally held the upper hand for winning the DROY, Davis and Parsons seem poised to break the trend this year based on their odds.