Georgia Tech TE Tyler Davis Confident in Transition to NFL

Former Georgia Tech tight end Tyler Davis was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He is confident in his transition to the NFL.

© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Davis became the first Georgia Tech tight end in 28 years to be an NFL Draft pick when the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the sixth round (no. 206 overall) of the Draft on Saturday. Davis also became the highest tight end draftee in Tech history.

Coming out of high school, Davis enrolled at UConn as a quarterback but made the transition to tight end during his time with the Huskies. 

Quotes courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"I redshirted my freshman year and was planning on playing quarterback my whole career," Davis told media on Saturday. "Then it came up to the time where I was going to be eligible and we had a cemented starter in place at the time that took us to a bowl the year before. And the head coach at the time, Bob Diaco, came up to me and he said: ‘Tyler, you’re too athletic to be holding a clipboard on the sidelines, we need to put you somewhere.’ So, he said: 'what about tight end?' At first, I was hesitant about it and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it since I was a quarterback my whole life... Ever since that day, I just worked as hard as I could to become the best tight end I could possibly be and its crazy that we are sitting here now and I’m a new member of the Jacksonville Jaguars as a tight end."

Davis played at the tight end position his final three years at UConn and appeared in 36 consecutive games. He caught 47 passes for 500 yards and seven touchdowns, including six touchdowns in 2018.

When Georgia Tech hired head coach Geoff Collins following the 2018 season, Davis signed with the Jackets as a grad-transfer. Davis was the first tight end in eleven years to suit up at Tech as the offense transitioned from the triple-option to a pro-style spread attack last season.

"[Georgia Tech] was a really young team then and I think that was a big reason why I went there was to be a leader," Davis said. "And it’s just crazy when I went away for a couple months to train and to prepare for Pro Day and I come back, and a lot of the young guys are doing the things that I taught them about without me saying anything. Just seeing the impact, I had on those people, that’s what I do it for."

In his lone season with the Jackets, Davis recorded 17 receptions for 148 yards and one touchdown. He was utilized as a run and pass blocker, while also contributing on the specials teams.

Similar to his time at Tech, Davis now enters a Jaguars' team as a rookie that is considered just as young in terms of the NFL - only two current players are 30 years or older. Davis is confident in his transition to the pros due to his experience in college that made him so versatile on the field. 

"I'd say I'm a pretty well rounded tight end," said Davis. "I've done everything in my career from putting my hand down in the dirt, then being able to play off the ball to being in the slot. I think that's one of the things that helped me in my entire career is my versatility."

Davis impressed scouts during his Pro Day at Tech when he ran a 4.65 second 40-yard dash, had a 9-5 broad jump and put up 23 bench press reps.

"I got really lucky," Davis said of his Pro Day numbers. "Huge. Huge impact because the night before my Pro Day, I had about a 45-minute conversation with a scout for the Jaguars and I knew that they were pretty interested. He was interested to see what kind of day I was going to have. Then I had my Pro Day and I was lucky to get it in and he saw the numbers. He said we will for sure be in touch after those number I put up."

At 6-foot-4, 252-pounds, Davis' size will also be an advantage for him in Jacksonville. He'll join a room consisting of veteran tight ends Tyler Eifert and James O'Shaughnessy as well as second-year Josh Oliver and Charles Jones. 

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