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 selection – with former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Jordan Davis among the team’s top potential 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 their first-rounder on April 28. His size would make him an elite run-stopper from Day 1 in the NFL, but his potential as a pass-rusher is what elevates him to a potential top-15 pick.
That pass-rushing upside comes from the unparalleled athleticism that Davis packs 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 of his size, with a broad jump that is 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-of-10 Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Platte.
The former Bulldog’s combination of size, power and speed are unprecedented in the NFL, but he remains unproven as a pass rusher. The Ravens would have to bet on the ability of Davis to improve that aspect of his game, with the help of defensive line coach Anthony Weaver as well as new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
Ravens Need Youth Along DL
Selecting Davis would align with general manager Eric DeCosta’s February 4 comments on the need for the Ravens to “get younger” along their defensive front. Baltimore did re-sign 35-year-old Calais Campbell on April 9, but moved on from veteran defensive tackles Brandon Williams and Justin Ellis this offseason.
Ellis followed ex-Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale to the New York Giants, while Williams remains an unsigned free agent.
The Ravens have a few younger options already on their roster, including 2020 draft picks Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington, but none have proven themselves as starters in the NFL.
Davis Mocked to Ravens (Again)
With a clear need at interior defensive line, it’s no surprise that multiple analysts have predicted that the Ravens will take Davis in the first round, including Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus.
Monson mocked Davis to the Ravens in an April 18 mock draft, writing:
Davis is an enigma — an all-time freak of an athlete who needs projection in several different ways to justify a draft pick this high. Baltimore has a history of coveting big bodies up front and has the kind of program to help him realize his potential. Davis has only played a little over 1,100 snaps in his entire college career and notched only 30 pressures in four years. A team drafting him believes his impact can be orders of magnitude higher than that.
Davis’ experience playing multiple positions along Georgia’s defensive line will likely boost his value to the Ravens, who have always prized versatility in their front seven. He can line up as a nose tackle or a 3-technique in Baltimore’s 3-4 defense, making him a potential cornerstone for the future of the Ravens’ defensive line.