Rumor: NFL Team Could Be Interested in Trading for Jarrad Davis

Read more on linebacker Jarrad Davis being a potential trade target for a winning AFC team

Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis has seen his snap counts drastically reduced this season. 

Davis, Detroit's 2017 first-round draft selection, has struggled to produce at a consistent level in head coach Matt Patricia's scheme. 

General manager Bob Quinn decided to decline Davis' fifth-year option prior to the season. 

With a price tag of approximately $10.089 million for his fifth season, the investment would not have made much sense for a player that isn't a three-down linebacker.

In 2019, Davis ranked 94th out of 99 linebackers, as graded by Pro Football Focus. 

Davis recorded 63 tackles in 11 games played last season.

Devin Bush’s season-ending ACL injury leaves a hole in the Pittsburgh Steelers defense that they should be looking to fill. 

Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis / © Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

According to a recent report, Davis may draw some interest from the AFC Central powerhouse.

According to The Athletic: 

"The former first-round pick fell out of favor in Detroit as his snaps have dwindled. Like many unemployed or rarely used inside linebackers, Davis is more of a run-blitzing, downhill, sure-tackling linebacker than a coverage linebacker, but he isn’t a liability in coverage either. 

Mike Tomlin loved him coming out of Florida in 2017. The Steelers had him in for a pre-draft visit that year. Tomlin loves to reconnect with players whether through trades or free agency after the fact. Davis is a free agent next year after the Lions declined his fifth-year option. Many believed the Steelers were going to draft him in the first round in 2017. Luckily for them, they didn’t and took T.J. Watt nine picks later."

This past offseason, Detroit came to an agreement with veteran Reggie Ragland, further pointing to signs the team is ready to move forward without Davis.

Ragland has seen his snap count steadily increase in 2020, while Davis and Jahlani Tavai have seen theirs decline. 

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