Ray Davis Draft Profile | Kentucky, RB Scouting Report

The Kentucky Wildcats haven’t had a operating again drafted within the prime 100 picks of the NFL Draft since Artose Pinner in 2003. May Ray Davis be the primary in twenty years?

What does Davis’ NFL Draft outlook appear like, and may he make an impression for an NFL franchise?

Ray Davis Draft Profile and Measurements

• Top: 5’8″
• Weight: 220 kilos
• Place: RB
• Faculty: Kentucky
• Present 12 months: Senior
• Hand: 9 1/8″
• Arm: 29 7/8″
• Wingspan: 72 3/8″

A extremely productive operating again recruit out of New Jersey, Davis rushed for 4,815 yards and 59 touchdowns on 375 carries. Davis additionally tallied 80 tackles and 6 interceptions over his 4 years as a defensive again in highschool. He additionally participated in basketball, baseball, and observe so as to add to his spectacular athletic background.

Davis signed with the Temple Owls out of highschool and instantly made an impression, enjoying in each recreation as a freshman. He ran for 905 yards and 7 touchdowns that season.

After speeding for 1,218 yards and eight touchdowns at Temple, Davis transferred to Vanderbilt. Sadly, his first season with Vanderbilt ended with a season-ending knee harm simply three video games in.

But, he would rebound to hurry for 1,042 yards and 5 scores and develop into simply the tenth Commodore to hurry for 1,000 yards in a single season.

Davis transferred to Kentucky for his remaining marketing campaign and had fast success with the Wildcats, speeding for 1,129 yards and 14 speeding TDs. He earned a second-team All-American spot and was named first-team All-SEC.

Davis grew to become the primary energetic participant in Division I to chart 1,000 speeding yards at three completely different faculties — Temple, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. He additionally grew to become the primary participant in SEC historical past to achieve 1,000 or extra speeding yards at two completely different SEC packages.

Davis’ Scouting Report

Video games Watched: Florida (2023), Georgia (2023), Missouri (2023), Tennessee (2023), Alabama (2023), Clemson (2023)

Strengths

• Very good imaginative and prescient out of the backfield; manipulates second-level defender
• Trusts his blocking up entrance and doesn’t usually freelance runs
• Displayed good jump-cut skill to shift lanes if wanted
• Managed runner, calm and stays sq. and balanced
• Good really feel working out in area
• Excellent contact steadiness
• Takes a number of defenders to carry him down
• Falls ahead by means of preliminary contact
• Little or no wasted motion organising runs, decisiveness in spades
• Dependable receiving possibility on checkdowns
• Proven skill to run routes; will have to be expanded
• Greater than prepared to stay his nostril into blitz pick-up
• Simply two fumbles in final two seasons

Weaknesses

• Doesn’t have burst to constantly outrun speedy linebackers
• Extra more likely to sq. up and punish slightly than string strikes collectively to interrupt tackles
• Lacks lateral quickness to make defenders miss out in area usually
• Burst is barely sufficient; can take him a couple of steps to get to full pace
• Season-ending knee harm in previous
• Already near a thousand makes an attempt in faculty

Present Draft Projection and Abstract

The operating again positional worth argument is well-documented at this level, and it makes making an attempt to determine the place Davis’ draft inventory will find yourself a problem.

It’s ironic that each staff desires a again like Davis to have the ability to constantly assist decide up brief yardage and transfer the chains, however no person desires to draft them. Davis’ contact steadiness, decisiveness, and imaginative and prescient as a run will make him a coveted a part of a committee within the NFL.

MORE: Top RBs in the 2024 NFL Draft

Add in his skill as a third-down again as a prepared and sensible move protector with good receiving skill, and Davis has a very well-rounded talent set to be a productive NFL-caliber operating again.

His solely limitations are purely athletic, as Davis lacks the lengthy pace, acceleration, and alter of path expertise to be one of many top-flight runners within the NFL. I can be curious to see how the NFL handles the tread on his tires with 5 years of carries in faculty.

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