Ravens meet with Georgia’s “all-time phenom” defender: Report – Home

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Getty Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jordan Davis celebrates a play during a December 2021 game.

With the 2022 NFL Draft just around the corner, the Baltimore Ravens are finalizing their plans for their first-round pick, the 14th overall pick, with former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jordan Davis among the top picks. potential team options.

The Ravens met with Davis recently, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, indicating that the team is considering taking the 6-foot-6, 341-pound lineman with its first-round pick on April 28. His size would make him an elite runner. Day 1 stopper in the NFL, but his potential as a pass-rusher is what elevates him to a possible top-15 pick.

That pass rush advantage comes from the unmatched athleticism Davis has in his massive frame. He ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in March, an absurd time for a player his size, with a long jump that ranks among the best of all time at his position. .

Overall, Davis put together the most impressive pre-draft athletic testing numbers of any defensive tackle in NFL history, earning a perfect 10-out-10 relative athletic score from Kent Lee Platte.

The former Bulldog’s combination of size, power and speed is unprecedented in the NFL, but he has yet to be tested as a pass-rusher. The Ravens would have to bank on Davis’s ability to improve that aspect of his game, with the help of defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Ravens need youngsters along DL

Selecting Davis would align with general manager Eric DeCosta’s Feb. 4 comments about the Ravens needing to “rejuvenate” their defensive front. Baltimore re-signed Calais Campbell, 35, on April 9, but left veteran defensive tackles Brandon Williams and Justin Ellis behind this offseason.

Ellis followed former Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale to the New York Giants, while Williams remains an unsigned free agent.

The Ravens already have a few younger options on their roster, including 2020 draft picks Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington, but none have proven themselves as NFL starters.

Davis made fun of the Ravens (again)

With a clear need on the interior defensive line, it’s no surprise that multiple analysts have predicted the Ravens will pick Davis in the first round, including Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus.

Monson mocked Davis against the Ravens in an April 18 mock draft, writing:

Davis is an enigma: an all-time monster athlete who needs projection in several different ways to justify such a high draft pick. Baltimore has a history of coveting big bodies early on and has the kind of program to help develop his potential. Davis only played just over 1,100 snaps in his entire college career and scored just 30 pressures in four years. A team that wrote it believes that the impact of it may be much greater than that.

Davis’ experience playing multiple positions along Georgia’s defensive line will likely increase his value to the Ravens, who have always appreciated versatility in their forward seven. He can line up as a nose tackle or tech 3 in Baltimore’s 3-4 defense, making him a potential cornerstone for the future of the Ravens’ defensive line.

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