Tag: Jamin Davis

Comparing Saints picks against prototypes in recent two-round mock drafts

The New Orleans Saints have been connected to 2021 NFL draft prospects like Jamin Davis, Caleb Farley, Kadarius Toney, and Justin Hilliard.

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Between free agency departures and salary cap constraints, the New Orleans Saints are vulnerable at several positions heading into the 2021 NFL draft. Their myriad needs includes cornerback, linebacker, defensive linemen, and wide receiver. To get a sense of which players are being linked to the Saints, let’s analyze some recent mock drafts around the league. We’ll look at the projected first and second round picks by New Orleans, and assess team and prototypal fit.

The Saints addressed two critical positions in Austin Gayle’s latest Pro Football Focus mock draft. New Orleans picked Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley in the first round (No. 28 overall) and selected Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard in the second round (No. 60). Here’s what Gayle wrote on Farley and what he could bring to the Saints:

“Currently PFF’s top-ranked cornerback and No. 14 overall player in the 2021 class, Farley is a fluid athlete with all the tools necessary to dominate at outside cornerback in the NFL. Before opting out of the 2020 season and declaring for the draft, the 6-foot-2, 207-pounder earned a 90.5 PFF coverage grade that ranked third among Power Five cornerbacks in 2019.

While Farley could very well be the best cornerback to come out of the 2021 class, concerns with his back injury and his sheer lack of experience at outside cornerback could lead to him being available for the Saints at No. 28.”

Farley is a steal at 28. His draft value depreciated with his recent back surgery, which followed an ACL tear early in his college career; it’s a gamble the Saints should take. He fits the mold at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds; a rare breed of size, speed, physicality, and athleticism offsets concerns of inconsistency. With his scheme fit and man coverage abilities, Farley could easily develop into a top-tier corner under Kris Richard. Of note, NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, one of the most clued-in reporters on the Saints beat, picked Farley in his Saints cornerback draft analysis.

The Saints critically need a No. 2 linebacker opposite Demario Davis. That answer is not Justin Hilliard. As Sean Payton learned from Bill Parcells, draft players who fit the mold. Hilliard is undersized at 229 pounds, and lacks the necessary speed with 40-yard dash times of 4.84 and 4.81 seconds. Run-stopping Missouri Tigers linebacker Nick Bolton, who timed a 4.6 flat at 237 pounds, fell to No. 41; a trade up here for Bolton would be preferable.

In Luke Easterling’s updated mock draft over at Draft Wire, the Saints selected Kentucky Wildcats linebacker Jamin Davis at No. 28 overall, and Florida Gators wide receiver Kadarius Toney at No. 60. Hard to justify either pick. Davis’ stock rose with an insane 40-yard dash time of 4.41 seconds; but he’s still a developmental prospect and way undersized at 224 pounds. Davis doesn’t fit the mold.

Same sentiment with Kadarius Toney. Undersized at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds, and a limited ceiling as a route-runner. The Saints have gone against their prototypes before if a prospect has a unique skill (see: Brandin Cooks’ straight-line speed) but Toney is too limited a player at this stage in his career.

Much more prototypical players were on the board, including Dyami Brown, who should be the pick. Brown’s physicality would be a nightmare opposite Michael Thomas, with strong blocking and route-running prowess, should New Orleans go receiver in the second round. With the sparse cornerback talent remaining at No. 60, four who fit the scheme should take priority: Aaron Robinson, Paulson Adebo, Kelvin Joseph, or Asante Samuel. Any of those corners can start right away.

Past the Farley pick, these are the right positional picks, but the wrong players. The Saints are known for sticking to their prototypes, and none of these fit. Pro day workouts and drills results mean a lot to them and help New Orleans shape the draft board. While they aren’t so dogmatic to rule out prospects for not running a fast enough 40 yard dash, their draft history suggests it takes special players to force their hand.

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Jamin Davis puts on a show at Kentucky pro day

Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis continued his meteoric rise up the draft board with an impressive pro day workout

If your favorite team might be targeting a linebacker in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, now would be the time to get familiar with Kentucky’s Jamin Davis.

One of this year’s fastest-rising prospects, Davis made a statement with his performance at the Wildcats’ pro day workout Wednesday, putting up eye-popping numbers for a player of his size.

While the first-round conversation at linebacker has centered around the likes of Penn State’s Micah Parsons, Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Tulsa’s Zaven Collins up to this point, Davis is making a strong case to be the first player off the board at his position.

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Defensive prospects for the Lions shine at Kentucky’s pro day

The limited tape on both is a legit concern, but they should be considerations for the Lions with the No. 41 overall pick.

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,

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:

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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.

A coverage linebacker prospect for Cowboys to consider drafting in all 7 rounds

Tim Lettiero reviews seven linebackers that can fit into Dan Quinn’s new system in each round in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the linebacker position for the Dallas Cowboys. With the addition of Dan Quinn, fans can expect the linebackers to take on a different role than what they are used to seeing. That could come from what’s in house, but there also could be additions in the 2021 NFL draft who could help at the position.

Going into next season, Leighton Vander-Esch and Jaylon Smith will likely be manning the starting roles. While current free agent Sean Lee mulls retirement, Keanu Neal was recently signed to provide some reliable depth and scheme versatility alongside youngsters Francis Bernard and Luke Gifford.

Vander Esch showed the ability to be an impact defender on the second level but has been unable to return to his rookie year form given his injury riddled career thus far. Jaylon Smith on the other hand has been able to stay healthy but has incredible inconsistencies in his game. Lee, Neal, Bernard and Gifford are all fine backups and role players, but none fill the coverage void the Cowboys have desperately needed filled.

As this 2021 draft series rolls on, a look at a linebacker prospect from each round is in order.