Packers Sign Former First-Round Pick Jamin Davis

The Washington Commanders released Jamin Davis last week. His elite athleticism could make him a factor for the Green Bay Packers.

Washington Football Team linebacker Jamin Davis (52) tackles Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan in 2021. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers made what could wind up being a splash move on Tuesday when they signed former first-round pick Jamin Davis to the practice squad.

Davis was the 19th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 25-year-old started 36 games at linebacker in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He set career highs with 104 tackles, nine tackles for losses and three sacks in 2022, including two TFLs against the Packers. In 2023, he had 89 tackles, eight tackles for losses, three sacks and career highs of four passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

The Commanders under new coach Dan Quinn moved him to defensive end this year. Washington was hoping he’d develop into one of Quinn’s stars in Dallas, Micah Parsons.

“We’re just trying to build our best 11 guys on the field,” Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt said during training camp. “And he's a big, fast, willing guy that's excited about doing it.”

Said Davis: “I feel like it's giving me a chance to just really cut it loose and just go hunt some quarterbacks. I’m having real fun with it right now, and I'm just going to see where this thing takes me.”

The switch did not pay off, with Davis recording 13 tackles, zero sacks and one tackle for loss.

He was released by the Commanders last week.

“Man, what a good teammate, Jamin,” Quinn said a day later. “Getting a chance to visit with him definitely left a strong impression. And sometimes there’s good that comes after the hard stuff, and he’s somebody that we’ll definitely be watching and pulling for. He really worked hard during his time here.”

That experiment appears to be over, with the Packers listing him as a linebacker.

To make room on the practice squad, they released linebacker Chris Russell.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has said repeatedly over the years that a player’s draft grades carry into the NFL.

That could be the case with Davis, a player with elite athletic tools. At 6-foot-3 3/4 and 234 pounds, Davis ran his 40 in 4.48 seconds with a 42-inch vertical jump and 11-foot broad jump. Those are all numbers for an elite cornerback. His Relative Athletic Score was 9.96 on a 10-point scale.

Davis likes speed. When he was starring at the University of Kentucky, he said he’d consider becoming a NASCAR driver after his football career.

“I feel like if I had some training I would be able to do it one day,” Davis told Kentucky.com. “I know it’s pretty hard to get into, but if I had the right connections and whatnot, I would definitely go for it.”

Davis arrived at Kentucky in 2017 weighing 190 pounds. He redshirted his first year and was a backup the next two years. He became a starter in 2020. In 10 starts, he recorded 102 tackles and three interceptions. He was one of four SEC players to averaged 10 tackles per game.

"Honestly, I’m guessing people are just starting to wake up a little bit," Davis said before his pro day. "I honestly couldn’t tell you all, couldn’t put my finger on it. I’m not doing anything special. ... I’m just being myself. I guess everything is just unfolding right before my eyes."

Davis was born in Hawaii, the son of Army parents. When he started playing football, he dreamed of being LaDainian Tomlinson but liked hitting running backs better. A youth football coach’s advice? You can’t have a million-dollar dream with a minimum-wage work ethic.

“From elementary school through middle school, even up to high school, it never left my mind,” he told the Washington Post. “It’s true: You’re going to get out of it whatever you put into it. It was just something that throughout high school I learned, especially being from a smaller area. You can’t have these dreams of playing in the SEC or playing in the NFL if you’re not doing the work to get to that level.”

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