Packers.com consulted more than a dozen mock drafts from reputable national outlets and compiled a list of players most frequently mocked as draft selections in the bottom third of the first round (picks 20-32).
Between now and draft day, when the Packers are slated to select at No. 29 overall, those players will be profiled with thumbnail sketches in a new series entitled "Draft Digest."
Today's player is …
Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky
Height/Weight: 6-3, 234
Key stats: Posted 102 tackles in just 10 games in 2020, hitting double digits in eight contests. Also intercepted three passes.
College honors: Named first-team All-Southeastern Conference by Pro Football Focus in his lone season as a starter.
Background: The closer the draft gets, the more Davis seems to rise in the projections. He started just one year for the Wildcats but was awfully impressive, leading the team with 102 tackles, including 1½ sacks and four tackles for loss. He also returned one of his three picks for a touchdown, set up another TD with an interception in UK's bowl game, and blocked a kick. Then he wowed onlookers at Kentucky's pro day, posting a 40 time in the 4.4 range, plus a 42-inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump. The most common opinion on him is he's a 4-3 weak-side linebacker, but others say the fit at 3-4 inside linebacker is easy to see as well. The term "raw" is also frequently heard, due to him having only 11 college starts, all but one of them last season. Football is definitely in the family, as Davis' father, James, played at Bethune-Cookman while his younger brother, Treyon, plays at Mount Union, a Division III power.
Potential fit with Packers: Green Bay has less experience at inside linebacker than any other position on defense for Joe Barry's first year as coordinator, with two rookies from last year in undrafted Krys Barnes and fifth-round pick Kamal Martin as the top two on the offseason depth chart. A player like Davis would immediately challenge for a role and playing time to provide a playmaking presence in the middle. In just 10 games last year, he was involved in five turnover plays (three INTs, one forced fumble, one recovery), which have been hard to come by at that position for the Packers for several years now. A linebacker with Davis' speed and tackling ability would be an instant contributor on special teams as well.
View all the Draft Digest profiles here.
