Kentucky Wildcats football isn’t typically a marquee destination for NFL scouts, but the program’s pro day on Wednesday attracted reps from nearly every NFL team to Lexington. Two prospects in particular stood out as potential fits for the Detroit Lions, who were confirmed to have at least one scout in attendance for the workout.
Linebacker Jamin Davis put on a freakshow of a workout. Davis measured in at 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, and his workout numbers are astonishing for a player at his position at that size.
Davis ran the 40-yard dash at 4.37, with a 42-inch vertical and a broad jump over 11 feet. Those reinforce the game tape from 2020, which showed an impact backer with easy range, ball skills and excellent tackling power. For comparison, here’s how he stacks up against Penn State’s Micah Parsons,
💥 LB Micah Parsons, Penn State (6’3”, 246)
4.39 40-yard dash (99th percentile)
34” vertical (48th)
10’6” (93rd)💥 LB Jamin Davis, Kentucky (6’4”, 234)*
4.41 30-yard dash (99th)
42” vertical (100th)
11’0” broad (99th)*listed height/weight at Kentucky
— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) March 31, 2021
Davis was a late bloomer for the Wildcats. He only emerged as a starter late in 2019 but his game tape from 2020 is outstanding. In watching five Wildcats games, his breadth of ability at least equaled what Parsons put on display in 2019 at Penn State outside of rushing the passer, which is not something Kentucky had Davis do often.
Cornerback Kelvin Joseph also showed he has the athleticism to step right into the NFL and keep up the very impressive game tape he posted at Kentucky. The LSU transfer played only nine games in 2020 after sitting out 2019 as a result of his exit from the Tigers, but he showed excellent instincts and ball skills. At 6-foot-1, he’s got desirable length. He ran stride-for-stride with Alabama WR Devonta Smith during their matchup. And the speed is legit:
https://twitter.com/TonyPauline/status/1377300858791153666?s=20
Both Davis and Joseph are most likely second-round picks, though there will be projections for each in the first. The limited tape on both is a legit concern, but they should be considerations for the Lions with the No. 41 overall pick.