With The 77th Pick The Jets Take LB Demario Davis

With their last pick until the 6th round barring a trade the Jets take Arkansas State OLB Demario Davis with the 77th pick.

Basic information from NFLDraftScout.com

Height: 6-2
Weight: 235 lbs.
Arm Length: 32 inches
Hand Length: 9 inches

 

Combine numbers:
40 yard dash: 4.61
Bench reps: 32
Vertical: 38.5
Broad: 10’04”
Shuttle: 4.28
Cone: 7.19

Overview(from NFL.com

):
Davis is a big linebacker who is competitive and had a lot of tackles for Arkansas State. Speed is by far his best asset. He could run a 4.5 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process, and that kind of speed is hard to ignore. Davis is big enough to play the position in the NFL, and has fifth-round value to a team that needs a guy who can run down plays and be effective against both the pass and run. Davis can be an awesome special teams candidate early on, which likely will be the key reason he is on a field in Week 1 of the 2012 NFL season.

Analysis(from NFL.com):

Strengths

Davis can really run, and it shows in every play he is in against the run. He has a burst in short areas and can run down almost any back to meet him outside the tackles and cover the outside run. He chases hard and fast every play and would be an excellent option to play outside linebacker in a 4-3 defense. He is a good tackler and has that obvious explosion to drive through his hips and really deliver a blow on a ball carrier.

Weaknesses

Davis needs to gather better when running down plays from the inside-out. He is so fast that he can overrun guys at times and fly off them as his momentum takes him outside on a tackle. Against one-cut runners at the NFL level, he could have a tough time gathering to make a secure tackle on the run. His athletic ability really doesn’t translate to pass defense, where he can look awkward and out of place at times. He needs to learn to better diagnose plays because he could struggle against faster offenses.

Here is a discussion thread on Demario Davis from our NY Jets forum.