Raiders: Making The Case For Kentucky LB Jamin Davis At 17

The Las Vegas Raiders could shock their fans by taking Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis with the 17th overall selection.

The consensus among many folks is that the Las Vegas Raiders need to select an offensive tackle with the 17th pick. However, Las Vegas could feasibly walk away with a starting right tackle in the second round given how deep this year’s class is at this position.

So in theory, this gives the team’s brass an opportunity to add a defensive playmaker in the first round. Kentucky’s Jamin Davis could be the pick, he’d be a good fit in Gus Bradley’s system after breaking out this past season.

At six-foot-four and 234 pounds, Davis is lengthy and has the frame to become a prototypical 4-3 linebacker despite a sample size showing. It wasn’t until 2020 that Davis broke onto the scene, accumulating 48 solo tackles, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and four tackles for a loss.

Entering a draft with linebackers such as Micah Parsons, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and Zaven Collins hogging the spotlight, Davis wasn’t exactly a household name. Nevertheless, even Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes Davis could be the pick. He noted that the Kentucky Wildcat could fill a Bruce Irvin-type role in Bradley’s system next year.

What could Davis bring to the Raiders?

Naturally, if Davis is the pick, there will be heavy expectations as a first-rounder coming into Bradley’s first year as defensive coordinator. His aforementioned length and size combined with his explosiveness allowed him to be a force in stopping the run while breaking up plays in the backfield as well. In fact, Davis is credited with 28 total run stops in 2020, with an 87.5 run defense grade per Pro Football Focus.

Another bonus with Davis is his tackling, he only has 11 recorded misses off of 150 attempts. His combination of speed and size with the potential to improve his coverage skills could make him a quality NFL starter for the Raiders. Once he polishes those areas of his game, combined with his burst off the ball, he could also end up becoming a solid pass rusher.

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While there’s lots of potential and upside with Davis, taking him so high could be seen as a reach – something the Raiders are known for – considering PFF projected him as a third-rounder originally. The question will be whether his potential and upside are so valuable that the team bypasses the other two critical needs at tackle and safety.