Tag: Ray Davis

NFL Films breaks down Bills rookie running back Ray Davis

In a recent appearance of One Bills Live, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell had some encouraging things to say about RB Ray Davis.

The Buffalo Bills had a solid 2024 NFL draft as they addressed their pressing needs at wide receiver and safety. One of the players Buffalo drafted in the later rounds has earned plenty of praise, including from someone who has been around the NFL long enough to know what he’s talking about.

Greg Cosell, senior producer for NFL Films, recently made an appearance on One Bills Live to give his take on the Bills’ fourth-round pick, running back Ray Davis. Among other things, he said that while Davis is “short,” but he’s “not small,” referencing Davis’ solid frame with his listing at 5-foot-8 and 211 pounds.

Davis, taken with the 128th overall pick, comes into the NFL with a productive college career along with some traits that could earn him some playing time next season. “He packs a lot of quickness and power in that stout, compact frame. He’s got an explosive short-area burst. He’s not a long-speed guy, but they (the Bills) have that,” Cosell said.

While Davis has some tools that can make him valuable on the football field, he will definitely fall behind James Cook, the projected starting running back heading into next season. However, Davis could play himself into a role similar to what Latavius Murray did last season in terms of being the back that the Bills use for short-yardage and goal-line situations when he gets comfortable with the offense.

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Bills’ Brandon Beane explains toughness in Ray Davis (video)

#Bills’ Brandon Beane explains toughness in Ray Davis (video):

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane loves the overall toughness that running back Ray Davis will bring to the team’s offense.

Davis, selected in the fourth round by Buffalo at the 2024 NFL draft, will suit up in the team’s backfield with James Cook. Davis will bring a “dog” type of dynamic to that partnership, according to Beane.

Beane explained after that draft that Davis is a player fans should not expect to be going out of bounds very often.

Beane discussing Davis can be found in the One Bills Live clip below:

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ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler: Ray Davis is ‘great complement’ to Bills’ James Cook

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler: Ray Davis is ‘great complement’ to #Bills’ James Cook:

Slipped right into the middle of the Buffalo Bills’ 2024 NFL draft class is Kentucky running Ray Davis.

The fourth-round selection ended up being a topic of conversation with ESPN’s NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler has begun gathering intel on prospects ahead of their upcoming rookie seasons. In terms of Buffalo, the name at hand was Davis.

The rusher could complement the Bills’ top rusher, James Cook, nicely–according to one scout at least.

Per Fowler, Davis and his more bruising style of running matches the quicker pace that Cook plays. That is probably the hope Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane had when using a pick on Davis.

In recent years, one area Beane has failed is finding a secondary backfield option. The likes of Damien Harris, Leonard Fournette and Latavius Murray all left something to be desired in this area just last year.

What the scout told Fowler can be found below:

Buffalo had one of the league’s more balanced drafts, addressing nine different positional needs with its 10 picks. That was all but necessary after the Bills slashed $50 million-plus in veteran contracts because of cap constraints.

One pick who could have a sneaky-big impact is fourth-round tailback Ray Davis, who has fantasy upside due to his stout frame at 5-foot-8, 211 pounds. He’s got power.

“Great complement to [James] Cook and should get a lot of goal-line and short-yardage work, which should result in some touchdowns,” a veteran NFL scout said of Davis.

Keep in mind with the Bills’ rushing attack under OC Joe Brady: Buffalo was fifth in attempts at 512, far ahead of its total of 430 in 2022. There should be plenty of carries available.

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Bills’ Ray Davis has background story worth rooting for

#Bills’ Ray Davis has background story worth rooting for:

The Buffalo Bills will hope that Ray Davis adds an element to their rushing attack that helps raise the level of their offense in 2024.

Because of that, fans will naturally root for the guy. His background story helps, too.

Following the Bills’ decision to select him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, general manager Brandon Beane described Davis as a “dog” type of player in terms of the effort he gives.

“He’s a tough kid,” Beane said via video conference. “He plays the game violent.”

That aspect of Davis’ personality came to him at an early age.

Davis explained his upbringing through the foster care system. He began that journey at the age of 12 and said it makes your grow up much faster.

“I had to become a man at 12,” Davis said.

More from Davis can be found in the WROC-TV clip below:

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2024 NFL Draft: Instant Analysis of Bills Day 3 Draft Picks

Instant analysis of the Buffalo Bills 2024 draft picks for rounds 4-7.

The Buffalo Bills are scheduled to make seven draft picks on the third day of the 2024 NFL Draft. Entering Saturday, the Bills have one fourth-round pick, four fifth-round picks, one sixth-round pick, and one seventh-round pick.

While day three is a day for taking chances and finding depth in the roster, the Bills have done a great job at finding starting value late in the draft. During the Sean McDermott regime, Buffalo selected Matt Milano, Dane Jackson, Christian Benford, Siran Neal, Khalil Shakir, and Gabriel Davis on the third day of the draft.

Here is The Bills Wire’s analysis of Buffalo’s day three draft picks. Be certain to check for updates as the Draft progresses.

*Update: The Bills traded the No. 144 overall selection to the Chicago Bears for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

The Bills traded pick 163 to the Green Bay Packers for selections 168 and 218.

Davis is a bowling ball of a running back, bringing massive power in a small frame. At 5-8, 211 pounds, Davis has little problem lowering his pads and making contact, as he uses his lower center of gravity to battle through defenders. Simply, Davis is a tough back for defenders to handle. He has good change-of-direction maneuverability as well. Davis is an above-average receiver back. He caught at least one pass in every game he played over the past two seasons (25 games). He led FBS running backs with seven receiving touchdowns last year. The knock on Davis is that he lacks top-end speed. Davis is a bit impatient waiting for lanes to open up, as he doesn’t always set up his blocks. However, his traits will fit with the Bills as a rotational back.

Grade: B. Davis’ pass-catching ability puts him on the edge of Buffalo’s roster.

Van Pran-Granger was a three-year starter for Georgia. He was a two-time captain for the Bulldogs. As a junior, Van Pran-Granger earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Last year, he earned Second Team All-American and First Team All-SEC accolades. He started 44 games at center during his collegiate career. The Georgia product has earned high marks for his game IQ. Physically, he’s not the most agile in space. The only other knock is that there were occasions where he struggled against bull rushes. Van Pran-Granger does not have the position versatility that the Bills normally look for with deep draft picks.

Grade: A-. Van Pran-Granger is an intriguing pick. He has played a ton of snaps at center over the past three seasons. A good camp should propel him up the Bills depth chart at center.

Ulofoshio earned First Team All-PAC 12 honors last season after recording 94 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and an interception. Ulofoshio was a captain for the Washington Huskies last year. He was named the recipient of the Guy Flaherty Award, which is a player-voted award for the most infulential player on the team. He is a sideline-to-sideline player with great instincts who makes it his mission to find the ball. Ulofoshio gets downhill against running backs and loves to hit. He also plays well in zone coverage. However, Ulofoshio will be challenged with his adequate speed and size at the next level. In addition, he did not receive high grades for man coverage. Ulofoshio suffered two massive injuries in a short time: torn biceps (October 2021) and torn Achilles (January 2022).

Grade: B-. Ulofoshio has only one speed, which fits the Bills defense well. While the intangibles are high, his average athelticsim may limit how much time he will have on the field. Olofoshio adds depth to the linebacker room. His major contributions might be on special teams in the short term.

The Bills were looking for a pass rush specialist, and they found one in Solomon. Solomon recorded 16 sacks last season for Troy. He was named a First Team All-Sun Belt Conference player twice in his career. Solomon is a bit smaller at 6-0 and 246 pounds, but he uses his leverage and bend well to get around the edge of offensive linemen. His quickness is very good. He has very good instincts and tracks ball carrier nicely. He will need to diversify his pass-rush repetoire at the next level. He may need a little time to develop while facing the superior competition of the NFL. He’s going to deal with some massive tackles in the NFL who may be able to neutralize his speed. Solomon will be a passing-down specialist for the short term.

Grade: B+: All of the traits are there for him to be productive for Buffalo. Now, the Bills must work with him to get him to the next step in his development. There is going to be a bit of a learning curve going from what Solomon saw in college to his new oppoents in the NFL. Solomon has some work to do against the run as well.

Grable earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention status last year at UCF. He started 43 games at offensive tackle during his six years of collegiate eligibility. Grable transition from tight end to tackle during the 2019 season. He has good agility, adapted from his time as a tight end. He still has a bit of work to do with respect to his technique. His development in such a short period of time is admirable. As Grable has played tackle for only a few seasons, he still needs to iron out some issues with hand positioning and body position against power rushes. Grable played exclusively at tackle in college. However, he did practice at center, which puts him on the radar for the Bills.

Grade: C. It seems like a lot to put on Grable at this point. He is a developmental prospect. Grable’s physical attributes are intriguing. There’s always the hope that the Bills have found another Jason Peters. Nevertheless, he’s new to the offensive line, and any inkling that he could adapt to center is concerning.

Hardy is a speedy corner with return experience. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the Combine. Hardy can close down on receivers with his speed. Hardy does well enough to diagnose plays. He worked out of the slot for Penn State. At 5-9, he rises up to the phsyicality of receivers. He was guilty of only one coverage penatly in his collegiate career. Hardy was Penn State’s main punt returner last year. While he did well to battle physical receivers in college, Hardy will face a completely new challenge in the NFL. His missed tackle rate increased in 2023. Contested chatches will be an issue moving forward. Hardy will be a slot-only receiver at the next level.

Grade: C+: The Bills need some depth at cornerback. However, Hardy offers only slot coverage. His ability to return punts is helpful. However, there’s a big jump that needs to happen in Hardy’s game if Hardy is to see defensive snaps.

Welp, the Bills looked long and hard for their final pick, settling on Travis Clayton from England. The former rugby player has a massive wingspan (84 inches) and the size of an offensive lineman. At 6-7, 301 pounds, Clayton could be a mauler in the NFL. The athleticism can translate to the NFL. He ran a 4.81-second 40-yard dash. However, it’s going to take some time for him to acclimate to the league. Clayton needs time to learn the position in greater depth. There’s a great deal of growth that needs to happen for Clayton to be a functional player in the NFL. He is a part of the International Player Pathway, so the Bills will have a couple of years to work with Clayton.

Grade: C+. It’s a seventh-round pick. Why not? Clayton’s upside is quite intriguing.

30 best players available for Ravens on Day 3 of 2024 NFL Draft

On the first two nights of the 2024 NFL Draft, the teams selected the first 100 prospects over the three rounds. Now it’s time for the remaining four rounds, kicking off on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET in downtown Detroit. Baltimore can draft for the best …

On the first two nights of the 2024 NFL Draft, the teams selected the first 100 prospects over the three rounds. Now it’s time for the remaining four rounds, kicking off on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET in downtown Detroit.

Baltimore can draft for the best available player after landing Nate Wiggins, Adisa Isaac, and Roger Rosengarten

Here are the top 30 players the Ravens could target on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL draft.

Packers mock draft 6.0: Final predictions for 2024 draft

Final mock draft predictions for the Packers entering the 2024 NFL draft in this seven-rounder.

We made it! The 2024 NFL Draft has arrived. The Green Bay Packers will start the three-day affair with 11 picks at their disposal. It’s time for my final mock draft of the cycle. In my final mock draft last year, I “correctly” mocked Lukas Van Ness, Jayden Reed and Anders Carlson to the Packers. We won’t talk about the rest of the mock picks.

Let’s take a look at who the Packers landed in my final mock draft of the cycle.

1.25: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa

Surprise, surprise. DeJean would give Green Bay’s secondary a much-needed playmaker and he’d bring juice to the special teams unit. DeJean is an outstanding athlete. He has natural ball skills. He’s versatile and he’s an asset in run support.

2.41: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama

The Alabama product is everything you want in a cornerback. He’s long, plays under control and never gives up the big play. According to Pro Football Focus, McKinstry only gave up two receptions of 30-plus yards over the past two seasons.

2.58: Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas

Puni offers five-position versatility. During his two seasons at Kansas, Puni started 13 games at left guard and 12 games at left tackle. During those two seasons, he gave up zero sacks and 16 pressures.

3. 88: Trevin Wallace, LB, Kentucky

A former track athlete, Wallace is an outstanding athlete with sideline-to-sideline range. He’s light on his feet and has the movement skills to hold up in coverage. At only 21 years old, Wallace has all the tools to develop into a four-down force.

3. 91: Ray Davis, RB, Kentucky

The Temple and Vanderbilt transfer finished his lone season as a Wildcat with 1,129 yards and 14 touchdowns. He runs with good patience and has the contact balance to bounce off defenders. Davis is a well-rounded running back, who could be the long-term running mate for Josh Jacobs.

4. 126: Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington

Even after adding Wallace, the Packers still need bodies in the linebacker room. The Washington linebacker logged 431 snaps on special teams during his time as a Husky and could be a Day 1 contributor for Rich Bisaccia. He’s a good athlete with the competitive makeup to challenge for snaps on defense.

5. 169: Frank Crum, OT, Wyoming

Crum has experience playing both tackle positions. He finished his career at Wyoming with 36 starts at right tackle and 13 at left tackle. The former two-star recruit is a good-sized athlete with the lateral mobility to shut down the corner and the mobility to get out in space to move people in the ground game.

6. 202: AJ Barner, TE, Michigan

Barner could the ideal No. 3 tight end behind Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. The Indiana transfer gets after it as a blocker and he’s a good athlete with upside as a pass catcher. Barner has 555 snaps on special teams to his name and could be a hired gun.

6. 219: Tyler Owens, S, Texas Tech

Roll the dice on the Texas Tech defensive back’s athletic profile. The Texas transfer may never develop into an impact player on defense, but give his athletic profile and experience on special teams (546 snaps and 10 tackles) Owens could carve out a long career as a core special teamer.

7. 245: Matt Lee, C, Miami

A UCF transfer, Lee finished his collegiate career with 48 career starts at center under his belt. Lee started 12 games during his lone season at Miami and gave up zero sacks and four pressures.

7. 255: Miles Battle, CB, Utah

Battle started his career at Ole Miss and made the transition from wide receiver to cornerback during the 2020 season. Battle started two games during his lone season at Utah and recorded one interception and four pass deflections. Battle is an outstanding athlete with good size (6-3 and 196 pounds). With his athleticism, Battle is worth the gamble and could make an immediate impact on special teams. The Ole Miss transfer logged 454 snaps on special teams and recorded nine tackles.

Here’s why NFL Draft prospect Ray Davis deserve more acclaim

Amongst various talent in 2024 NFL Draft class, running back Ray Davis from the University of Kentucky definitely deserves more acclaim.

With all the talk about the superstar talent in the 2024 NFL Draft class, running back Ray Davis from the University of Kentucky definitely deserves more acclaim.

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After five seasons in the NCAA, Davis opted out of what would’ve been his final Bowl game with the Wildcats, and declared for the NFL Draft. Davis produced 21 total touchdowns last season, 14 rushing, and seven receiving. More impressively, Davis rushed for 1,129 yards on 199 carries in arguably the toughest NCAA division in football, the SEC. 

Nimble, swift, and stocky, Davis would be ideal for NFL teams looking for a feature back on passing downs. With a 40-yard dash time of 4.5, Davis isn’t the fastest on the field, but his consistency as both a pass-blocker and pass-catcher do more than make him serviceable. Davis produced a season high 280 rushing yards versus the Florida Gators on Sep. 9, the only game last season where he featured a volume higher than 22 carries.

Davis passes the eye-test and was ranked at No. 6 on PFF’s best running backs in the 2024 NFL Draft class list. Hopefully, NFL scouts find a place for Davis, even if they aren’t sold on him in the Draft.  

Running back Ray Davis could be a sleeper in next week’s NFL Draft

Running back Ray Davis could be a surprise star in this year’s draft.

Former Kentucky running back Ray Davis is one of the highest-ranked running back draft prospects in this NFL Draft class. He’s regarded as a three-down, all-around back due to his pass-catching skills, elusiveness and ability to break tackles.

Davis played a total of five seasons in college between three different programs. He started his college career at Temple, and spent two years there before transferring to Vanderbilt. Then he spent this past season at Kentucky. During his five years between the programs, Davis totaled 746 carries for 3,626 yards and 29 rushing touchdowns. He added 94 receptions for 762 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns throughout his career as well.

The Athletic’s lead draft analyst Dane Brugler has Davis ranked as the 9th-best back in the draft and has a fourth-round grade on him. The 5 foot 8, 211 pound running back has drawn comparisons to Ray Rice and Devin Singletary from draft analysts.

This is a fairly weak running back class compared to most. That means there’s a lot of space near the top where prospects can jockey for draft position.

Davis has a lot of versatility at the running back position, but also was a work horse over the past few years with over 1,000 touches. He will also turn 25 during the season, which could affect his stock somewhat.

Cardinals to host predraft visit with RB Ray Davis

Davis played for three different schools in college and can do it all. He is one of two backs the Cardinals have brought in for visits that we know of.

The Arizona Cardinals have more predraft official visits coming. According to Aaron Wilson, they have one upcoming with Kentucky running back Ray Davis.

Davis played five seasons in college for three schools, beginning with two years at Temple, two at Vanderbilt and then finally for Kentucky in 2023.

In five years, he rushed for a total of 3,626 yards and 29 touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry. Last season, he had 1,129 rushing yards and 14 scores on 5.7 yards per attempt. He also caught 33 passes for 323 yards for another seven touchdowns.

He had a 1,000-yard season in 2022 for Vanderbilt and 981 yards in his freshman season for Temple.

He is 5-foot-8 and 211 pounds. At the NFL combine, he ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds, had a 35-inch vertical leap and 119-inch broad jump, giving him an average to slightly above average athletic profile.

He projects as a late Day 2 or a Day 3 pick and is a guy to watch for the Cardinals. He can play all three downs.

He is one of two running backs known to have top-30 visits with Arizona.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.