Keim\u2019s logic is clear, but Davis could still earn plenty of playing time during a contract year. Thanks to a potential niche role in new head coach Dan Quinn\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n
\n
Jamin Davis Option Decision Inevitable<\/h2>\n
The 19th player drafted in 2021 is now set to be be eligible for free agency after this season. It\u2019s a disappointing outcome for a player who\u2019s never quite lived up to first-round billing. Struggles on the field and problems off it may have contributed to what felt like an inevitable decision, according to\u00a0Ben Standig of The Athletic.<\/p>\n
Keim\u00a0reported on March 2 this year\u00a0\u201cDavis had been arrested on March 28, 2022 for reckless driving after he was allegedly clocked in his McLaren going 114 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone in Loudoun County, Virginia, where the Commanders train. Two months later, he was convicted of reckless driving and sentenced to 30 days in jail, but he appealed the ruling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Citing court documents, Keim revealed \u201cDavis avoided jail time for a misdemeanor reckless driving charge but had his license suspended for six months.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the field, Davis has rarely made full use of his athletic range and downhill instincts. Missed tackles have been a problem, with\u00a0Pro Football Reference\u00a0tracking 23 misses in three seasons.<\/p>\n
Davis also proved a liability in coverage, surrendering three touchdowns last season. Two of those came against the\u00a0New York Giants, including this score by\u00a0Darren Waller, highlighted by\u00a0Mark Tyler of SB Nation\u2019s Hogs Haven.<\/p>\n
This is what you get when two former LB\u2019s don\u2019t value the position.<\/p>\n
Here you see Jamin Davis beaten handily by Waller for the TD (first TD for the Giants in a month).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n
Salvaging Davis is the challenge facing Quinn and new defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. One solution might be to turn No. 52 loose as a pass-rusher more often.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a strategy\u00a0Standig outlined back in March: \u201cThe plan is to have the athletically gifted Davis become a \u2018hybrid\u2019 defender, which should translate into less pass coverage and more attempts at getting after quarterbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a solid option for Davis, but the Commanders have other alternatives who could be more effective.<\/p>\n
\n
Commanders Have Draft Alternatives to Jamin Davis<\/h2>\n
Perhaps the best alternative is\u00a0Frankie Luvu, a veteran\u00a0playmaker who arrived\u00a0from the\u00a0Carolina Panthers\u00a0in free agency. Luvu proved useful on the blitz in 2023, rushing 46 times to generate\u00a05.5 sacks and 13 pressures.<\/p>\n
Having Luvu attack pass protection will be a key part of Quinn\u2019s system, but that shouldn\u2019t stop the Commanders from drafting a linebacker. Edge defenders like Marshawn Kneeland and Trevin Wallace had pre-draft visits, according to the\u00a0Pro Football Network.<\/p>\n
Both could fill the kind of hybrid, pass-rushing role All-Pro\u00a0Micah Parsons\u00a0played for Quinn with the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys. Like Davis, Wallace has played his collegiate football at Kentucky, where he\u2019s displayed useful skills as a blitzing linebacker, skills shown by\u00a0this sack against Akron.<\/p>\n
Wallace logged 18 sacks in three seasons at Kentucky, per\u00a0Sports Reference. He fits as a sub-package defender for Quinn\u2019s pressure schemes.<\/p>\n
If the Commanders take Wallace off the board in the middle rounds, Davis will face a tougher challenge to even see the field during the final year of his rookie contract.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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