The NFL Draft will begin on April 25, 2024. We take a look at Ray Davis, a well-rounded running back with few flaws outside of his physical traits.
247 Sports rated Davis as a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He decided to commit to Temple before transferring to Vanderbilt for two seasons, and then Kentucky for his final season.
Throughout his five-year career, he totaled 3,536 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns on 714 carries.
Make sure to check out all of our other NFL Draft scouting reports.
Ray Davis, Kentucky, Running Back
Name: Ray Davis
Jersey: No. 1
Position: Running Back
School: Kentucky
Class: Redshirt Senior
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 211 lbs.
Kentucky RB Ray Davis #1, displaying pacing, outside intention to hold defenders, and manipulation with the direction of his leap. Davis brings #2 in, puts his foot in the ground, and pops outside into space. Long speed=not his game pic.twitter.com/2bkMRPkcca
— Daniel Harmsđ (@InHarmsWay19) April 5, 2024
Ray Davisâs Strengths
Davis is an experienced prospect with over 700 carries in his career. His experience helped him learn how to read almost all runs efficiently, but he excels with gap and inside zone. On gap runs, he follows the wrap man right before he makes contact with the backer where he reads log versus kick comfortably. Kentucky ran a lot of inside zone where poor offensive line play forced him to bounce or cut back runs consistently. After his initial read, he has great one-cut ability to get north and south and gain the gritty yards.
Once in the open field, Davis showcases an amazing jump cut that he uses to make defenders miss and make the extra cut needed in the second level. Though he is only 5-foot-8, he has solid contact balance and power to shrug off defenders in the open field. It takes a perfect angle for defensive backs to take him down, and he exposes them with his elusiveness.
Davis is a reliable receiver on checkdowns and screens with his consistent hands and elusiveness in the open field. He knows when to release on delayed releases, giving him many open looks. Davis occasionally expands his route tree with rails and option routes where he shows flashes of hand concentration and juice
Ray Davisâs Weaknesses
Though Davis is an experienced back, he lacks the physical traits of a true three-down starter. Once in the open field, he can’t pull away from defenders or run through arm tackles at the line of scrimmage. Poor line play has made him slightly bounce heavy on both gap and inside zone, but it should clean up with better protection in the NFL.Â
Despite Davis’s attempt as a pass protector, he doesnât have the size or recognition to be an option. When engaging with a blitzer, he puts his head down to bring more power into the shot, which makes him a liability versus stunts and shifty blitzers. He also doesnât have dynamic route running ability, making him an easy cover in man. Davis also has a lot of tread on his tires and appears to have maxed out his frame. It will be hard to project him as a long-term starter or three-down back.
Draft Projection: Day 3 PickÂ
Ray Davisâs lack of upside makes him a true Day 3 pick, but there are always good running backs late in the draft. He will still be a Week 1 player who can slide in as the early-down back right away. His consistency in inside zone and gap make him a target for spread-based teams.
Davis doesnât have the ability to be a wide zone running back, which takes him off many teamâs boards. His lack of pass protection consistently makes him a liability as a third-down option while his frame and strength are maxed out already.
Even though his upside isnât great, he is the right pick for a team needing an âinnings stuffer.”
Main Image Credit:
