Washington wanted to beef up its linebacker corps in the 2021 NFL Draft, so it chose Kentucky's Jamin Davis at No. 19 ahead of some other notable names like Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Davis’ first season as a Commander proved to be shaky and inconsistent as he struggled with the learning curve from college to the pros. But given his improved play late in the 2021 season, Davis is getting props from one of the best to ever play the position for the Burgundy & Gold: London Fletcher.

“I thought earlier in the year, [Davis] wasn’t able to use his athleticism because he was thinking too much, and as the season went on and he got more comfortable playing the middle linebacker position, he got better,” Fletcher said on BMitch and Finlay on 106.7 The Fan. “So, I think with another offseason in the same system, knowing his responsibilities, having another preseason, he’s gonna hit the ground running as a starter next season. I expect him to have a huge impact on this defense next season.”

Fletcher knows better than anyone what it takes to be a consistent, solid linebacker in the NFL. He spent seven seasons of his 16-year career in the nation’s capital with all four of his Pro Bowl nods coming in Washington from 2009-12 consecutively.

Fletcher spent his entire career as a middle linebacker and offered insight as to why Davis might’ve struggled with his initial switch to the position as a rookie.

“I thought he was definitely deserving of being drafted high, being a first-round draft pick. The one thing I’ll say differently is, when he was in college I believe he played like the wheel linebacker position,” Fletcher said. 

“When he came to Washington, they moved him to the middle linebacker position -- and that’s a tough adjustment going from weakside linebacker in college to all of a sudden being responsible to call the defenses, play man in the middle in a position you never played before, and you’re doing it as a rookie in the National Football League against the best of the best. So there was going to be an adjustment period for him.”

Adjustment periods are not only natural, but expected aspects of the transition from college to the NFL. Though Davis didn’t necessarily wow in his rookie year, getting more reps under a former linebacker in Ron Rivera could help his development heading into year two. 

The combination of Davis and Cole Holcomb -- who was one of the Commanders’ biggest overachievers of last season -- could pan out well in 2022. It all starts in training camp over the summer.