tynimiller
Cheesehead
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First, I know it is very odd to set up a thread specifically for a PS pick up - but I'm so intrigued by this I decided worth it.
Let's first discuss who he was (prospect wise)...
Jamin Davis - exploded onto the college scene for Kentucky in 2020 when he was given the full time starting role on the team as an off ball LB. That season he was one of the best at his position but honestly went somewhat unnoticed to many. I believe part of that was due to the fact he was only a third year guy, many suspected he might not even declare...other factors were that Kentucky just is an afterthought to many. That said, those that live prospect watching knew of him at least and many had him on their radar as a top 100 or top 150 type prospect. Then the off season started, and as more film could be watched - slowly you kept hearing Jamin Davis's name climbing folks ladders. My one connection in GB yesterday confirmed that he was 100% on GB's board that year (no I never ask specifics so don't ask and I don't nickle and dime him for info). Would he have been a Packer had he not been picked at 19 that year...who knows and doesn't matter at this point.
Anyways, this young man confirmed that he was an INCREDIBLY gifted physical specimen during testing. Folks this year raved about Cooper and how insanely gifted of an athlete he showed he was...well I'll break some news to you, just purely from a physical abilities perspective Cooper is looking up to Davis.
From an athleticism perspective there is not much else you can hope to have in a prospect....mix in how at times he exhibited an incredible nack for diagnosing a play and attacking it with such a fury it reminded you of a Polamalu type play.
BUT for all the big plays, violent attacking and block shedding abilities he exhibited - there were two things many were concerned with:
- Just one year as a starting off ball linebacker. His second season in KY, he did AMAZING as well, BUT it is much easier to be that depth/situational type backer going in in sub packages with less to have to digest. With just the one year in 2020 to show, was it enough to truly illustrate a maturation for the position?
- To go along with the above...in 2020 for every play where he seemed to know what was coming and just destroy plays single handedly...there were snaps where he clearly had diagnosed it wrong...and the delay he exhibited in recovery to a new diagnosis and attack plan clearly lagged what you would hope your off ball LB could do. It is going to happen every game where you as a defender read one thing and think 'x' is happening only mid-play you discover that not to be the case and you have to quickly respond - that reactive diagnosis, change and attack is crucial separation of average to good to great off ball backers.
As already discussed he ended up going 19th overall that year and the second off ball after Micah Parsons (12th).
Time with the Commanders
This is where it gets interesting. Jamin came into the league and played 581 snaps his rookie year for the Commanders. For comparison to someone this fanbase knows well, Quay came in and his first year played 846 games. However, Quay was the starter in all but one game his rookie year, Jamin only started 8 games for the Commanders. That tells me that despite him not being the starter at first he did well enough to become the starter mid season. His rookie year though he graded out for reference just under 50.0 PFF (Quay was just over 50 his rookie year for reference).
Davis's second season in Washington he progressed A LOT. His snap count grew to over 800 (833) and started every game he was active but one. He had 9 TFLs, 13 total pressures...only gave up 1 TD in coverage and his overall PFF grade rose to 62.9 but most impressive was his tackling graded out at 75.7.
Davis's third season was even more impressive. His coverage grade was the only thing that stayed the same at 56.5, but his pressure grade, tackling grade and run defense grade all increased and were 71+ ratings. Of offball LBs with 700 or more snaps he graded out as the 28th best per PFF overall...15th in run defense...11th in tackling and 20th in pressure.
January of 2024 Washington fires the HC and a new regime takes hold....
In the off season they sign Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu plus draft Jordan Magee....and inform Davis he will be moving to Edge/OLB position.
This season in the new position he put forth some solid outings but honestly quite quiet overall...he has this year played the run very well, but only got snaps five of the games and only 86 snaps altogether on defense....eventually released.
The Oddity of clearing waivers and no trade...
I'll be honest it strikes me as very odd Washington didn't just trade him for a conditional 7th or something like that. Ooober athletic guys with high ceilings that honestly have his limited but fairly solid experience don't happen everyday. So is there character stuff we don't know about....only staff's talking would?? I have tapped into my limited contacts and even backwards into my scouting contacts to see if anyone had character flags on him - one did respond that folks at KY told him he was an undisciplined young man and a team he knew felt he interviewed terrible. Okay.....that could mean lots of things but could explain no one grabbing him sooner.
We've seen more often than not guys that fail to absorb the NFL speed, playcalls, commitment to the craft it takes and despite all the gifts in the world fade away into players of the past forgotten. BUT, we've also seen change of scenery...another and perhaps final chance make guys realized and take the craft more serious.
IF Davis does have character or professionalism issues - a place like Green Bay where arguably there is less distractions than many places, could be the precise change of scenery and change he needs.
Future...
Hard to predict, but worst case of course he never is elevated and perhaps isn't even on the PS by the year's end...however, just as Brenton Cox has found a refuge in GB for a change of direction hopefully...maybe Davis has as well. Maybe GB can in their system allow him to cook as they say in sub packages where he doesn't have to do too much at first...and if he reclaims the path he seemed on as an off ball backer in Washington ala 2021 and into 2022...he could be just another piece in the Hafley turnover at off ball.
Oh....interestingly odd stat....he has barely played Special Teams. 15 snaps this year and 34 last year is all.....he is FAR TOO athletic of a dude to not be a potential Bisaccia pupil on coverage teams....that I say is his path as well.
Let's first discuss who he was (prospect wise)...
Jamin Davis - exploded onto the college scene for Kentucky in 2020 when he was given the full time starting role on the team as an off ball LB. That season he was one of the best at his position but honestly went somewhat unnoticed to many. I believe part of that was due to the fact he was only a third year guy, many suspected he might not even declare...other factors were that Kentucky just is an afterthought to many. That said, those that live prospect watching knew of him at least and many had him on their radar as a top 100 or top 150 type prospect. Then the off season started, and as more film could be watched - slowly you kept hearing Jamin Davis's name climbing folks ladders. My one connection in GB yesterday confirmed that he was 100% on GB's board that year (no I never ask specifics so don't ask and I don't nickle and dime him for info). Would he have been a Packer had he not been picked at 19 that year...who knows and doesn't matter at this point.
Anyways, this young man confirmed that he was an INCREDIBLY gifted physical specimen during testing. Folks this year raved about Cooper and how insanely gifted of an athlete he showed he was...well I'll break some news to you, just purely from a physical abilities perspective Cooper is looking up to Davis.
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From an athleticism perspective there is not much else you can hope to have in a prospect....mix in how at times he exhibited an incredible nack for diagnosing a play and attacking it with such a fury it reminded you of a Polamalu type play.
BUT for all the big plays, violent attacking and block shedding abilities he exhibited - there were two things many were concerned with:
- Just one year as a starting off ball linebacker. His second season in KY, he did AMAZING as well, BUT it is much easier to be that depth/situational type backer going in in sub packages with less to have to digest. With just the one year in 2020 to show, was it enough to truly illustrate a maturation for the position?
- To go along with the above...in 2020 for every play where he seemed to know what was coming and just destroy plays single handedly...there were snaps where he clearly had diagnosed it wrong...and the delay he exhibited in recovery to a new diagnosis and attack plan clearly lagged what you would hope your off ball LB could do. It is going to happen every game where you as a defender read one thing and think 'x' is happening only mid-play you discover that not to be the case and you have to quickly respond - that reactive diagnosis, change and attack is crucial separation of average to good to great off ball backers.
As already discussed he ended up going 19th overall that year and the second off ball after Micah Parsons (12th).
Time with the Commanders
This is where it gets interesting. Jamin came into the league and played 581 snaps his rookie year for the Commanders. For comparison to someone this fanbase knows well, Quay came in and his first year played 846 games. However, Quay was the starter in all but one game his rookie year, Jamin only started 8 games for the Commanders. That tells me that despite him not being the starter at first he did well enough to become the starter mid season. His rookie year though he graded out for reference just under 50.0 PFF (Quay was just over 50 his rookie year for reference).
Davis's second season in Washington he progressed A LOT. His snap count grew to over 800 (833) and started every game he was active but one. He had 9 TFLs, 13 total pressures...only gave up 1 TD in coverage and his overall PFF grade rose to 62.9 but most impressive was his tackling graded out at 75.7.
Davis's third season was even more impressive. His coverage grade was the only thing that stayed the same at 56.5, but his pressure grade, tackling grade and run defense grade all increased and were 71+ ratings. Of offball LBs with 700 or more snaps he graded out as the 28th best per PFF overall...15th in run defense...11th in tackling and 20th in pressure.
January of 2024 Washington fires the HC and a new regime takes hold....
In the off season they sign Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu plus draft Jordan Magee....and inform Davis he will be moving to Edge/OLB position.
This season in the new position he put forth some solid outings but honestly quite quiet overall...he has this year played the run very well, but only got snaps five of the games and only 86 snaps altogether on defense....eventually released.
The Oddity of clearing waivers and no trade...
I'll be honest it strikes me as very odd Washington didn't just trade him for a conditional 7th or something like that. Ooober athletic guys with high ceilings that honestly have his limited but fairly solid experience don't happen everyday. So is there character stuff we don't know about....only staff's talking would?? I have tapped into my limited contacts and even backwards into my scouting contacts to see if anyone had character flags on him - one did respond that folks at KY told him he was an undisciplined young man and a team he knew felt he interviewed terrible. Okay.....that could mean lots of things but could explain no one grabbing him sooner.
We've seen more often than not guys that fail to absorb the NFL speed, playcalls, commitment to the craft it takes and despite all the gifts in the world fade away into players of the past forgotten. BUT, we've also seen change of scenery...another and perhaps final chance make guys realized and take the craft more serious.
IF Davis does have character or professionalism issues - a place like Green Bay where arguably there is less distractions than many places, could be the precise change of scenery and change he needs.
Future...
Hard to predict, but worst case of course he never is elevated and perhaps isn't even on the PS by the year's end...however, just as Brenton Cox has found a refuge in GB for a change of direction hopefully...maybe Davis has as well. Maybe GB can in their system allow him to cook as they say in sub packages where he doesn't have to do too much at first...and if he reclaims the path he seemed on as an off ball backer in Washington ala 2021 and into 2022...he could be just another piece in the Hafley turnover at off ball.
Oh....interestingly odd stat....he has barely played Special Teams. 15 snaps this year and 34 last year is all.....he is FAR TOO athletic of a dude to not be a potential Bisaccia pupil on coverage teams....that I say is his path as well.