Las Vegas Raiders: 3 potential first-round prospects who could fall to No. 48
Jamin Davis – LB, Kentucky
The Raiders are for sure expecting better play out of their current linebacker group in 2021, but none of those players should prevent you from drafting a prospect high should the board fall that way.
Kentucky’s Jamin Davis has been a riser throughout the draft process and turned some heads at his pro day. At 6’3 and 234lbs, Davis ran a 4.37 40-yard dash, jumped 42”, and had an 11” broad jump. That is a level of speed and explosiveness that will be elite the moment he steps on the field for any NFL team.
So why might he be available in the second?
For one, he plays a position on the lower end of the scale when it comes to value. Regarding salary average in the NFL, linebackers rank 7 out of 11 in terms of pay. In a draft filled with high-valued positions like quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle, teams will (and should) prioritize those positions before addressing linebackers.
However, even if teams address linebackers, there are still excellent prospects in front of Davis that could get taken first. Players like Micah Parsons, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and Zaven Collins have all been ranked higher and projected to go off the board before Davis. Within the last four to five drafts, only two to three linebackers have been taken in the first round, so Davis could end up being the odd man out.
Davis is also the only player of that bunch with just one year of starting experience.
None of this, in the end, takes away from him as a prospect. It just ends up being a numbers game. And one that could work in the Raiders’ favor.