Akeem

Davis-Gaither

Nichols reportedly failed his physical. He played minimally last season and failed to pressure the quarterback even once. Davis-Gaither, conversely, totaled 82 solo tackles and eight TFLs. Both figures rank second on the team.

Davis-Gaither made just 11 starts in five years with the Bengals while contributing primarily on special teams. Davis-Gaither’s contract isn’t so big that we should expect him to start for sure, but the Cardinals have not re-signed Kyzir White and Krys Barnes yet. Davis-Gaither could be part of a plan to replace one of them.

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the deal is worth approximately $3 million. The former fourth-round pick saw his role on defense scaled back in 2023 but still managed a sizable 289 snaps on special teams. He logged 17 total tackles and one TFL last year.

Davis-Gaither (6’1"/224) was a two-year starting outside linebacker at Appalachian State who was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year as a redshirt senior. The Mountaineers used his above-average athleticism by blitzing him off the edge, which resulted in five sacks and 14.5 TFLs. He was able to bend around or run by offensive tackles while rushing the passer, plus had the aggressiveness to fill holes against the run (101 tackles). In the NFL, Davis-Gaither will need to play stronger to stay on the field on rushing downs and will need development in man-coverage, but he has the athleticism and aggression to be a sub-package linebacker and asset on special teams while he’s in the workshop.

Davis-Gaither (6’1/224) was a two-year starting outside linebacker at Appalachian State who was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year as a redshirt senior. The Mountaineers used his above-average athleticism by blitzing him off the edge, which resulted in five sacks and 14.5 TFLs. He was able to bend around or run by offensive tackles while rushing the passer, plus had the aggressiveness to fill holes against the run (101 tackles). In the NFL, Davis-Gaither will need to play stronger to stay on the field on rushing downs and will need development in man-coverage, but he has the athleticism and aggression to be a sub-package linebacker and asset on special teams while he’s in the workshop.

Davis-Gaither (6'2/215) was a highly productive defender for the Mountaineers, being named the SBC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Though undersized, Zierlein writes Davis-Gaither “is a playmaker with a talent for slipping blocks and ending up near the football.” A very productive player over his college career, Zierlein says Davis-Gaither is “rangy and long with top-end pursuit” but that his “tweener size and tweener skill set” mean he will likely be relegated to backup and special teams duties at the next level.

The Senior Bowl had its eye on Davis-Gaither coming into the campaign, giving him space on their preseason watch list. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound redshirt senior has registered 73 tackles (11.5 for loss) and 3.5 sacks to go with an interception and six passes defensed in 10 games played this fall. He is a rangy linebacker who should test respectfully in the spring. With a strong evaluating process, Davis-Gaither could come off the board at some point on Day 2 come late April’s draft.

Davis-Gaither (6'2/215) is one of two Appalachian State linebackers to make the cut, with fellow redshirt senior Jordan Fehr being the other. A second team all-conference selection last season, Davis-Gaither exploded to the tune of 105 total tackles (10.0 for loss), 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and seven pass breakups. And in the opinion of Andrew DiCecco of the Pro Football Network, the redshirt senior “fits the prototype of the modern day NFL linebacker” due to his combination of speed, athleticism and range.