Philadelphia Eagles: UDFA WR Devante Davis Is A Gem

Although the rush of the 2015 NFL Draft had subsided, the Philadelphia Eagles‘ brass found themselves hard at work yesterday evening, feverishly combing the undrafted free agent market in hopes of uncovering a diamond in the rough. While the glitz and glamor of the NFL Draft garners the most media attention, history has proven that the ensuing UDFA period can yield great results. Last offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles added a number of free agents who went on to contribute to the team, including move TE and special teams ace, Trey Burton, and pro bowl kicker, Cody Parkey. This time around, Chip Kelly hopes to duplicate his previous successes, and UNLV standout WR, Devante Davis, may very well be the best of a promising young crop.

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Davis is coming off a senior season in which a wrist injury forced him to miss half of UNLV’s games, perhaps torpedoing his draft stock in the process. Many in the draft community expected Davis to come off the board in the middle rounds, only to see him plummet off all together.

Davante Davis possesses a skill set that will likely resonate well with the Eagles’ fan base. At 6’3″ 220lbs with a 32 3/8″ wing span, Davis is an imposing physical specimen with size and length that creates an impressive catch radius. Davis boasts very strong, reliable, hands, and has the concentration and timing to consistently win at catch point. He effectively uses his size to box-out defenders and create space to reel in passes. Despite his impressive size, Davis possesses good-enough speed clocking a 4.58 40 yard dash. Because of his size and speed, defensive backs must respect Davis’ ability to work vertically, although he is far from a burner in this regard. Additionally, Davis is a willing an able blocker who can wall off defensive backs on the perimeter.

Where Davis comes up short, however, is in his ability to separate; something that will only become more difficult at the next level. While he lacks ideal burst and acceleration, his below-average route running contributes to this as well. Davis lacks suddenness and sharpness to his routes, and his steps are frequently taken with wasted movement.

Regardless of his short comings, Davis undoubtedly provides a tremendous value given his UDFA status. Had I graded Davis pre-draft, I would have assigned him a 4th round grade. Davis compares favorably to ASU WR Jaelen Strong, but arguably gives the Eagles greater value in that Strong garnered a 3rd round selection, while acquiring Davis cost Philadelphia practically no resources.

Overall, while Davis’ status with the team will hinge on his performance in training camp, it appears that he will have a solid chance at sticking with the team.

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