2021 Linebacker Prospect Profile: Jamin Davis - Kentucky

By: Chip Turner

Jamin Davis - Kentucky
 
6’3” -234 pounds
 
Strengths:
 
Okay, seriously.
 
Where the blue heck did this kid come from all of a sudden?
 
Jamin Davis completely blew up in 2020, wreaking havoc at Kentucky. He’s yet another three-down LB who has NFL GMs drooling after he continued annihilating things at his Pro Day. I’ve already listed Baron Browning as a fantastic athlete…but Davis is a freak. He ran a 4.48 40, with a 42” vertical and 11’ standing broad jump. That’s…ridiculous. Some of the Pro Day 40 times this year were a little sketchy, but you can’t fool a ruler. There was one vertical leap higher than 42” at the 2019 NFL Combine. One.
 
Davis isn’t a “Vernon Gholston” situation, either. His production on the field was phenomenal. He showed excellent coverage skills, and he’s very instinctive, reading and reacting to run plays, often penetrating the LOS and disrupting things in the backfield. He’s explosive and rangy, with upside that undoubtedly has NFL GMs salivating.

Weaknesses:
 
Davis only has one full year as a starter, and he’s still raw. Why did his production peak so suddenly in 2020? His aggression gets the better of him sometimes, and he can misread and over-pursue at times, taking himself out of a play.
 
Projection:
 
Jamin Davis, for all of his production in 2020, seems to be working mostly on instinct – his technique and pre-snap play recognition will need work in the NFL. While the previous sentence seems like a critique, it isn’t intended as such. Davis was one of the more fun and disruptive linebackers in all of college football last season WITH those limitations. He’s got the potential to be a top LB in the NFL for years to come. He’ll likely come off the board quickly during the NFL Draft…possibly as early as the end of the first round.