Packers Claim Defensive Tackle, Linebacker Off Waivers From Dolphins

The Green Bay Packers have added another pair of frontline defenders to their 2020 offseason roster just days before the start of the 2020 NFL draft.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Packers claimed both defensive tackle Gerald Willis III and outside linebacker Jamal Davis off the waivers from the Miami Dolphins, who cut them along with several other veterans over the weekend.

Willis went undrafted in 2019 after being projected as a mid-round pick, but he signed with the Baltimore Ravens less than a week after the draft and remained with the team through training camp before being cut at the roster deadline at the end of August. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle then found his way to the Dolphins’ practices squad, earning a promotion to the active roster on Nov. 20 and appearing in three games — as well as recording two tackles — before a hip injury landed him on injured reserve.

Davis was also an undrafted free agent last year and went through a similar motion in training camp with the Houston Texans, getting cut at the deadline. But the 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebacker also spent time on the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad before being released again and landing with the Dolphins. He played in the final three games of the regular season for Miami but did not tally a tackle.

Once Willis and Davis pass their physicals and officially added to the roster, the Packers will have 66 players under contract for the 2020 season. They could potentially add 10 more names to the list before the end of the weekend with 10 selections in this week’s 2020 NFL draft, which would leave them with 14 spots to sign undrafted free agents this offseason.

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Willis Took Winding Path to the Pros

Willis was a five-star recruit and considered to be one of the top defensive lineman prospects in the country coming out of high school in 2014. He picked Florida over LSU while competing at the 2014 Under Armour All-America game and saw some action as a true freshman, playing in five games and forcing a pivotal fumble during the Gators’ win over East Carolina in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl.

But there were also issues with Willis both on and off the field. One instance included the police being called to break up a fight between him and Gators quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg, who was treated for injuries. He also shoved Jameis Winston in the face during their matchup that season in an incident that saw Willis sent to the locker room for the remainder of the game.

Willis managed to land on his feet and transfer to the University of Miami, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing once at home with the Hurricanes. After sitting out the 2015 season, he played nine games as a redshirt sophomore before tearing his MCL, an injury that caused him to miss the remainder of the year and take a leave of absence from the program for the entire 2017 season.

The on-again, off-again nature of his playing career might have allowed him to slip through the cracks as an NFL prospect if not for how he return in 2018. He started all 12 games for the Hurricanes and recorded 18 tackles for loss — more than any other defensive tackle in the FBS. He also tallied a career-high 59 total tackles, 4.0 sacks, one fumble recovery.

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