A decision to return to school for his senior season ended up greatly benefitting former Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis and his draft stock.
After following up his junior season with a strong senior season, despite being hampered by an ankle injury later on in the season, Davis landed in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday at No. 21 overall to the Detroit Lions.
Davis is the first true linebacker selected in the first round in nearly three decades, since Clifford Charlton landed as a first-rounder in 1988. He’s also the first former Gator in more than 30 years to be selected by the Lions, with Lomas Brown landing as a first-rounder in 1985.
He celebrated the announcement with his family and friends at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Fernandina Beach, Florida, instead of attending the draft in Philadelphia.
“We’re very fortunate to get him,” Lions general manager Bob Quinn said. “He’s a guy who we feel can play Mike and Will, so we’re going to put him in the mix with all of the guys we have on the roster and just figure out what’s the best way to use him. But, he definitely has position flexibility.”
After not attending the Senior Bowl and sitting out on drills during the NFL Scouting Combine to nurse an ankle injury, Davis shined at Pro Day, putting his athletic ability, speed and good instincts on display for NFL teams. He logged an unofficial 4.56 40-yard dash, while impressing in the broad jump (129 inches) and vertical leap (38.5 inches)
As a senior in 2016, Davis finished second on the team with 60 tackles to go along with six TFL, two sacks, five quarterback hurries and four pass breakups.
Davis was notably selected over Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, who surprisingly dropped to No. 31 overall for the San Francisco 49ers after the Lions passed on him because of a number of red flags.
Meanwhile, the Lions grew incredibly impressed with Davis’ work ethic, character and intangibles, especially after holding an individual workout with him in March, and addressed a big need.
“He’s a passionate football player,” Quinn said. “He’s got very good playing speed, good tackler, good blitzer, good coverage player. This guy is a really well-rounded linebacker. As a freshman, he was a special teams player of the year for Florida when he was a backup linebacker, so he’s got four-down value.”
Florida has now had 51 first-round selections in program history and has totaled 15 first-round picks since 2007, the third most among all schools nationally. Only Alabama (23) and Ohio State (16) have more. UF has now had at least one pick in every NFL Draft since 1952, longest streak in the SEC.
The next two days should be busy for other former Gators. Cornerbacks Quincy Wilson, Teez Tabor, safety Marcus Maye and defensive tackle Caleb Brantley could all possibly hear their names called Friday, while offensive tackle David Sharpe, defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. and defensive tackle Joey Ivie could also be drafted this weekend.
2017 NFL Draft first-round recap:
1. Cleveland: DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
2. Chicago Bears: QB Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina
3. San Francisco 49ers: DL Solomon Thomas, Stanford
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: RB Leonard Fournette, LSU
5. Tennessee Titans: WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan
6. New York Jets: S Jamal Adams, LSU
7. Los Angeles Chargers: WR Mike Williams, Clemson
8. Carolina Panthers: RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
9. Cincinnati Bengals: WR John Ross, Washington
10. Kansas City Chiefs: QB Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech
11. New Orleans Saints: CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State
12. Houston Texans: QB DeShaun Watson, Clemson
13. Arizona Cardinals: LB Haason Reddick, Temple
14. Philadelphia Eagles: DE Derek Barnett, Tennessee
15. Indianapolis Colts: S Malik Hooker, Ohio State
16. Baltimore Ravens: CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama
17. Washington Redskins: DL Jonathan Allen, Alabama
18. Tennessee Titans: CB Adoree’ Jackson, USC
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TE O.J. Howard, Alabama
20. Denver Broncos: OT Garett Bolles, Utah
21. Detroit Lions: LB Jarrad Davis, Florida
22. Miami Dolphins: LB Charles Harris, Missouri
23. New York Giants: TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss
24. Oakland Raiders: CB Gareon Conley, Ohio State
25. Cleveland Browns: S Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
26. Atlanta Falcons: DE Takkarist McKinley, UCLA
27. Buffalo Bills: CB Tre’Davious White, LSU
28. Dallas Cowboys: DE Taco Charlton, Michigan
29. Cleveland Browns: TE David Njoku, Miami
30. Pittsburgh Steelers: LB T.J. Watt, Wisconsin
31. San Francisco 49ers: LB Reuben Foster, Alabama
32. New Orleans Saints: OT Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin
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