SI All-American Candidate Thomas Davis Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: DE Thomas Davis
Projected Position: Defensive End
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 225 pounds
School: Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes
Committed to: Miami
Frame: Muscular tall build, long arms, Needs to put on 20-30 pounds to hold up in the trenches at the next level.
Athleticism: Great at shooting gaps and getting upfield to disrupt the passing game. Has shown ability taking on offense of lineman who are much bigger than him. Clearly has a strong lower body as his aggressiveness towards the passer is elite for his age.
Instincts: Has a good feel for where the quarterback is in the pocket. Coming after him with balance and speed. Does a great job of overpowering tackles and guards even when they're much bigger than him.
Polish: He's excellent at tackling in the open field. Rarely does a quarterback scramble away from his grasp. Relies mostly on his strength, shooting through gaps and using swords technique, batting hands down and forcing his way into the backfield to wreak havoc.
Bottom Line: Davis is a huge hitter who can play inside and outside versus tackles, flashing as a better pass rusher than run stopper. He’s a quarterback's worst nightmare at the point of contact, harassing and disturbing the passing game with his physicality and athleticism. He needs to put on more weight if he's going to consistently survive as a defensive end in the Power Five, if not he could serve as an effective third down pass rusher in the speed package.