Two prospects in this year’s draft are facing a problem that so many other great prospects before them have faced before. Two unicorns at their positions, both with very few concerns regarding their ability to play at the next level are having to answer a difficult question: How valuable is your position in the NFL?
One of those unicorns is Kyle Hamilton, the much-discussed safety from Notre Dame. Despite an underwhelming performance at the Combine, it appears the league is finally settling on the idea that Hamilton will be a major contributor at the next level. It is now rare to see Hamilton mocked lower than 7th overall to the New York Giants.
The other player, and the topic of this article, has a lot more variance in the topic. Jordan Davis.
Davis is a 6-6, 341 pounds defensive tackle from the University of Georgia. He made headlines throughout the college football season as arguably the most prominent player on the National Champion Bulldog defense and once again at the NFL Combine when he ran a 4.7 40-time.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Jordan Davis’ 40 time (4.78) is the fastest at the NFL Scouting Combine since at least 2005 from a player weighing more than 308 pounds.
Accomplished that at 6-6, 341 pounds.
pic.twitter.com/4WcLDT8quq— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) March 5, 2022
Davis is considered to be strongly in play for the Houston Texans’ at their newly acquired 13th overall selection from the Cleveland Browns. He’s the type of unique talent that isn’t available every draft and would make an immediate impact in the trenches for Lovie Smith’s 4-3 defense.
There has also been significant pushback. Investing at defensive tackle in the top-15 for many is considered a luxury. The team already employs the services of Maliek Collins and 2021 sixth-round pick Roy Lopez took significant steps forward last year to be a meaningful contributor on the rotation.
Additionally, there are concerns on to how Davis’ film projects at the next level. The defensive tackle has never been asked to contribute towards the pass rush, frequently rotating at the University of Georgia with other phenomenal players, and there are questions as to how he will respond to an increased snap count.
Why use a first-round pick on Jordan Davis, who plays a position of relative strength, when the roster has so many other holes?
For Houston, it may be actually advantageous to reframe the argument. Smith’s defensive scheme and the presence of other defensive tackles on the roster make Davis a better fit for Houston than many are projecting.
To begin, Davis properly fits into Roy Lopez’s role as the nose tackle within the context of the Tampa 2. This likely bumps the New Mexico State product to the bench and into a more rotational role, one that he’s better suited for. The ability to spare either Davis or Collins with Lopez would create one of the strongest interior defensive lines in the AFC. In a division that features stud running backs like Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry, maintaining a strong and well rested defensive front throughout the game is invaluable.
This ability to rotate also means Houston could extract the best from Davis. His ‘maximum effort’ playing style could easily project towards the NFL while he develops the stamina needed to play in the league for longer durations of time. There aren’t many defensive tackles as well equipped as the previously mentioned Maliek Collins to help Davis understand how to attack the passing game from the interior line.
Together with Davis and Collins working to collapse the pocket from the interior, edge rushers like Jonathan Greenard and potentially Kayvon Thibodeaux would have better margins to operate and get to the quarterback on passing downs. The entire line would benefit from having the best athlete on the field in Davis on 3rds downs.
In short, Houston is equipped to get the best from a unicorn of a player. What feels like a luxury in 2022 could shortly become one of the most impactful defensive lineman in the entire NFL by 2023.
It’s true that, in a vacuum, a defensive tackle may not represent the most pressing need for Houston. However, in the context of this rebuild and this defense, there may not be a better player at 13th overall than Georgia’s stud interior defender. Nick Caserio shouldn’t hesitate to take Davis should he think he’s the best player on the board.
Good luck finding many better.