Jordan Davis Scouting Report: NFL Draft Prospect Report

 

Defensive Tackle, Georgia Bulldogs, #99

 

Measurements

6′ 6″ / 340 lbs

40 Time: Davis is expected to run a sub 5.0 second 40 time.

 

Jordan Davis Draft Player Profile

Davis began his high school years at Hopewell High in Charlotte, NC where he played basketball. He changed schools to play for a better basketball program at Mallard Creek High School. It was here that he would garner attention as a football recruit. Ironically, Mallard Creek would lose to Hopewell on the hardwood during Davis’ senior year.

At this time Davis had started to garner attention for his play on the field more so than his play on the court. He was already a monster of a man. As a senior he stood 6’ 5” and weighed in over 300 lbs. It wasn’t just his size that was appealing to teams though. Davis blend of size, strength, and athleticism is hard to come by. ESPN had him rated as a four star prospect and the 14^th best player in North Carolina. Jordan Davis would receive offers from schools such as Ole Miss, Michigan, and Florida but in the end would commit to Georgia.

Now a senior for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, Davis is a key piece of the nation’s number one defense. Davis being such a large human isn’t filling the stat sheet, but what he does for his team does not go unnoticed. Davis, who is majoring in religion, is a leader on and off the field. He is a high character young man. In an interview with si.com he was quoted as saying,

 “It’s just being around my brothers. I just want to play my heart out, whatever I do. I only played nine snaps today, but even those nine snaps, I want to make sure that I’m affecting plays.”

This was after they beat Vanderbilt badly and starters were pulled early. That sounds like the voice of a leader and a player I’d like to be around. We will see how his skills will or won’t translate to the NFL in the Jordan Davis scouting report below.

 

Jordan Davis Strengths

 

Athleticism

 

To say this young man is a specimen is almost an understatement. A human weighing almost 350 lbs. should not move like he does. It is expected he will run a 5 second or lower 40 yard dash. This makes him a legitimate human freight train. Davis posses scary straight line speed, but it is his ability to change direction at the line that is most impressive to me. Most men his size get caught up when changing directions, but he has nimble feet and rarely gets stuck in one place. His athleticism at his size is rare and will surely catch the eye of NFL scouts if it hasn’t already.

 

Strength

When watching lineman I look for their ability to get into the chest of the man across from them. How hard do they hit them and who is the one going backwards after contact? Well, Davis doesn’t go backwards after contact and it is more often than not that you see the lineman trying to block him have their upper body snapped back, hard. Makes me worry they have whiplash from time to time. What makes this even more impressive is the fact that Davis is double teamed more often than not.

 

Eating Up Blocks

Davis routinely eats up blocks allowing the players behind him to excel. On most plays there is a linebacker running free because Jordan requires a double team. If not, he will get into the backfield too quickly and get the ball carrier for a loss. A team that likes to free up its linebackers will covet a player like Davis in the 2022 NFL Draft. I don’t know if you are old enough to remember Gilbert Brown of the Green Bay packers, but Davis can eat up just as much space while actually driving lineman back. I would not choose to run at Davis in short yardage situations either as he will push those lineman into the backfield and allow his linebackers and safeties to make the play.

 

High Character/ Leadership

Davis was recently selected as a team captain prior to one of the teams games. He shows incredibly maturity for a man his age. A religion major at Georgia, he is often referred to as one of the leaders in the locker room. His demeanor during media availability is second to none and he always steps up when many would step away. With the league becoming more and more concerned with character, I have no doubt that this is an area Davis will shine for years to come.

 

Jordan Davis Weaknesses

 

Can He be a Three Down Player?

Davis’ size and build make him more of a between the tackles run stuffer or space eater. Although he is incredibly athletic, he doesn’t fill the stat sheet with sacks often. He does however free up players like Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean to get to the quarterback. When watching film for Jordan Davis scouting report I noticed he rarely, if ever, is on the field in third and long or sure fire passing situations. I have no doubt he will play in the NFL, but this makes me wonder how high he will be valued in the 2022 NFL Draft.

 

Slow Off The Snap

Davis rarely impresses here. If he could develop a quicker first step he would be even more disruptive and be seen blowing up plays in the backfield more. Given his incredibly large frame, I don’t know that this will improve though. Nonetheless, this is still an area he could improve upon and I would expect to see him work on prior to the NFL Combine.

 

Jordan Davis Draft Stock

 

Davis is a physical specimen. His athletic ability along with his sheer size and strength make him an intriguing player. He is one of the most gifted defensive interior defensive lineman in all of college football. Though his lack of pass rushing prowess and the concerns of whether or not he can contribute on third down leave me wanting more. GMs and scouts will be left to ask themselves when can they draft a two down player, or can they develop him into a three down player? Depending on the scheme Davis could be a late first round pick, or as far back as the end of round three. The days of seeing big men like him selected early may be in our past.

 

Final Thoughts on Jordan Davis

I love his character and am excited by the play of this young man. Any fan base in the NFL should be happy if he ends up a member of their team. As the college football season continues it would be great if he started to see some passing down repetitions and develop some pass rush techniques. However, with the talent and depth Kirby Smart’s team possesses I doubt we will get to see that. Davis would be an ideal fit for a team that likes to blitz its inside linebackers, as he almost always requires a second blocker. With the game changing so much from years past we don’t see people sing praise for the Jordan Davis’ of today as they did the Haloti Ngatas of yesterday. Maybe he can bring that back.

Jordan Davis NFL Comparison: Dexter Lawrence, NYG

Jordan Davis Scouting Report by Ken Noble