Wyatt

Davis

Davis was a third-round pick by the Vikings in 2021 but was cut from the team after training camp. Davis was signed to the Giants’ practice squad shortly after, but will join the Saints’ 53-man roster with this latest move. Despite his third-round status, Davis has yet to see a regular season snap. He’s likely nothing more than a depth piece for the Saints at this time.

The Vikings have now cut a trio of 2021 third-round picks today, with Davis joining QB Kellen Mond and LB Chazz Surratt. They also cut 2021 fourth-rounder EDGE Janarius Robinson. The new Minnesota regime isn’t wasting any time cleaning up the leftover mess. Davis was the 86th overall pick last year out of Ohio State and didn’t play a single offensive snap as a rookie.

Davis (6’4/315) is the grandson of Green Bay Packers’ Hall of Fame defensive linemen Willie Davis and the son of former Missouri defensive linemen and actor Duane Davis, who starred as Alvin Mack in “The Program”. A consensus five-star prospect and top-25 overall national recruit coming out of high school, Davis was a two-plus year starter at Ohio State that earned first-team AP All-American honors in 2019 and 2020. Davis plays with outstanding balance and great knee bend, Davis consistently winning the leverage game. He explodes through contact into a divot-spitting leg drive that gets 300-pound nose tackles moving backward. In pass-pro he sets up quickly with a sturdy base, keeping enemies across the moat with bridge-like arms and cannon-ball shooting fists. He’d allowed only one sack and zero hits in 585 pass-pro reps heading into last year before coughing up three sacks and one hit in 280 pass-pro snaps last year -- but each occurred on a stunt or blitz, and was not an instance of getting beaten heads-up, which rarely happens to Davis. Davis’ ceiling could look a lot like Trai Turner at the peak of his five Pro Bowl powers. Pro Football Focus ranked the Vikings offensive line as a bottom-five unit in pass-protection and a below-average unit in run-blocking. Dakota Dozier was graded poorly in all facets of the game and could cede his job as the Vikings’ starting left guard to Davis as early as Week 1.

Davis (6'4/315) is a two-time All-American and the 2020 Big Ten Offensive Linemen of the Year. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Davis as the No. 2 guard in the 2021 class. Davis, a former five-star recruit, has a scintillating blend of power and mobility. Scheme diverse, Davis should start immediately in the NFL. He’s a first-round hopeful.

Davis (6'4/315) originally decided to opt out just one week ago, but is reconsidering now that the Big Ten reportedly coming together with a plan to play this fall. It was reported by ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren that Davis actually called Ohio State AD Gene Smith during the actual Zoom call where the decision to play was being announced. HC Ryan Day confirmed that Davis had contacted him expressing an interest in returning if the Big Ten elects to move forward with autumn football. Davis was named as a SecondTeam All-American in 2019 and is considered one of the most talented guard prospects in the country. He would be a huge re-addition to the Ohio State offensive line should he return to school.

“It’s really heartbreaking. I believe that we would have won the national championship this year. It’s really unfortunate,” Davis said of the Big Ten’s decision to postpone the fall campaign due to concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19. The 6-foot-4, 313-pound standout could potentially push toward a Round 1 selection with a strong evaluation process, though Round 2 is probably his most comfortable range at this juncture. Davis succeeds on the field thanks to an impeccable blend of balance and pure strength.

The only offensive lineman Treash ranks ahead of Davis (6'4/313) is Oregon’s Penei Sewell. There was talk that the star guard might enter the NFL after his redshirt sophomore season, but he’s decided to return, and it’s a huge boost to the Buckeyes for 2020. “Davis was one of three Power 5 guards to log at least 400 pass-block reps and not allow a single sack or hit,” Treash notes in his writeup. He also mentions that his WAA score was one of the best of any right guard in the Pro Football Focus era. “Sewell is far and away the best tackle in college football,” Treash writes, “but Ohio State’s Davis takes the cake for interior offensive linemen.”

Davis (6'4/313) did submit his name to the NFL draft advisory board for feedback, but he told Letterman Row that he will be coming back regardless of what information comes back to him on the pro front. While OSU is set to lose upperclassmen Branden Bowen and Jonah Jackson on the line heading into 2020, they have three key draft-eligible pieces returning in Davis, Thayer Munford and Josh Myers. Davis received first-team All-American recognition from both the AP and Walter Camp Football Foundation for his work at right guard in 2019.

Typical heavy hitters Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Stanford (among others) could be in play for Davis’ top-5 list. Alabama will almost certainly be on it. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman spoke glowingly of the Tide program and will be making an official visit to Tuscaloosa the weekend of October 1, when Kentucky comes calling. “It’s a linemen factory,” Davis said. “The first time I went down there and I saw the recruits down there I was like, ‘Dang, I’m for sure playing guard here.’” While he loves their pedigree, he refuted the notion that the defending champs should be considered the favorites for his services at this point.

This one is somewhat unexpected, both in timing and location. Davis indicated earlier in June that he was simply hoping to lock down five finalists for his commitment by the end of the month. The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder was wooed over to Urban Meyer’s side by a visit to Columbus several weeks ago. Ohio State wasn’t considered a front-runner prior to that trip. This Buckeye recruiting class is shaping up beautifully. Davis was their 14th commitment for the cycle and, already, their third five-star commitment by Rivals standards. Davis ranks as the outlet’s No. 1 guard and No. 18 overall prospect.