Miami traded one of their 4th, 5th and 7th round picks to get back into the 3rd round to Green Bay and took CB Will Davis of Utah State. Davis has nice size at 5'11 1/4. 186 lbs. Excellent man cover corner and is very fluid, athletic and flexible. Effortless pedal and transition with speed to run deep. Very good ball skills and hand quickness. The Combine top performer in the 3 cone drill with a 6.52. The biggest issue for Will is he needs to get stronger to deal with bigger wide receivers.
What he brings: Davis shows quick feet and flashes playmaking instincts. However, he can be overaggressive and will gamble, and lacks the elite instincts to recover when caught out of position. Davis can also struggle to turn and locate the ball when caught in trail position. However, he has upside with his athleticism and instincts, and can potentially add depth to a secondary.
How he fits: This was not a good cover group a year ago, and they lost solid veterans in Bryan McCann and Shawn Smith, but they did pick up an elite CB in free agency in Brent Grimes. By adding two corners already, they have a better chance to play their aggressive man-to-man schemes. That allows them to blitz and take more chances, and they can now put a pretty good sub package on the field, which is a must against spread offenses like New England's.
OVERALL FOOTBALL TRAITS
Production
3
2008-'09: Western Washington but DNP. 2010: De Anza Junior College (CA) 38-8-8 2011: Utah State (13/5) 35-6-0 2012: (13/13) 64-17-5
Height-Weight-Speed
3
Good top-end speed. Possesses prototypical height and cut but a bit lean. Adequate arm length (31.4) and hand span (9).
Durability
3
Suffered an elbow injury during training camp of the 2011 season and limited his play earlier on in the year.
Intangibles
3
All-WAC Academic in 2011. Played just one year of high school football. Originally enrolled at Western Washington but program was cut during his redshirt freshman year. No off-the-field issues that we are currently aware of.
CORNERBACK SPECIFIC TRAITS
Instincts/Recognition
3
Inconsistent in this area. On one hand flashes ability to read routes, anticipate and jump underneath throws. However, will gamble and lacks discipline at times. Vulnerable to double moves. In zone coverage can get aggressive and get caught out of position at times. Needs to learn how to maintain strong position in zone coverage without tipping his cap to opposing quarterbacks. Shows good diagnostic skills vs. the run.
Cover Skills
3
Movement skills are average-to-slightly below average. Changes directions well laterally and shows ability to turn and run with receivers downfield when aligned in press. However, has some tightness in hips and ankles. Can labor to open hips when having to make a sudden 180 degree turn in off man. Did not show ability to recover against double move. Also needs to take a few extra steps when gathering at the top of his pedal or zone bail. Will round off breaks on occasion. Closing burst breaking forward is good but lacks a second gear to recover when caught in trail. Appears best suited for a heavy zone scheme and may have issues holding up in man coverage on an island at the NFL level.
Ball Skills
3
Adequate in this area. Flashes anticipation to get a quick break on the ball. Aggressive playing the ball. Had an interception in five straight games to end the 2012 regular season but was not consistent playmaker throughout career. Hands are good but will have an occasional drop. Inconsistent turning and locating the ball in a timely manner when back is turned to quarterback.
Run Support
4
Willing in this area when hand is forced but does not appear to welcome contact. Picks and chooses his battles. Works to get off blocks but can struggle against more physical receivers. Wrap-and-drag down tackler. Needs to learn to tackle with better pad level. Also needs to continue to improve strength in this area.
avis only played one year of football at Central Valley (Wash.) High School, logging seven interceptions, while also tallying 33 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He also played wide receiver, making 16 catches for 135 yards and four touchdowns. Davis also earned three letters in basketball and four in track. Davis was an honorable mention all-league honoree and team MVP as a senior in basketball and was a two-year starter.
After high school, Davis originally enrolled to play football at Western Washington, but the program was cut during his redshirt-freshman season. Davis then went to De Anza College, and earned first-team all-Golden Gate Conference and first-team all-state honors after posting eight interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.
In 2011, Davis transferred to Utah State, where he played in all 13 games and logged five starts. He recorded 35 tackles (3.5 for loss) and six passes defended. In his senior year, Davis played in 13 games and recorded 64 tackles (4.5 for loss), 17 pass breakups, and five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). He was named first-team All-WAC.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Tall end/linebacker hybrid with excellent length. Definitely not contact-shy, extends his long arms to land a strong punch on blockers, can disengage to chase plays from behind or grab ballcarriers coming into his area. Also willing to mix it up when challenged. Long strides allow him to cover ground quickly when closing or after his strong get-off with his hand down, but also shows enough bend and short-area quickness to avoid linemen. Lines up against slot receivers and tight ends, managing to stay with them in the open field in spite of his size. Flashes quickness and bend to beat tackles around the corner, can counter with an inside rush or spin move. Also quick enough to flatten down the line to make plays on inside runs. Willing to stick his shoulder into a lead blocker to free up other defenders.
WEAKNESSES
Limited football experience. Could stand to add more weight and strength. Overaggressive nature. Susceptible to getting beat by double moves. Lacks the recovery speed to catch up to a receiver that has run by him. Has issues with beating blocks from the receiver. Will lower his head and give sub-par tackling efforts.
NFL COMPARISON
Alterraun Verner
BOTTOM LINE
Davis has good length, foot quickness, and ball skills for the position. Although his recovery speed is a question, he's a fluid athlete with good hips who can make plays on the football. Davis can be beaten deep when he gets overaggressive, but he has more successes than failures in this department. Davis should be a middle-round selection.
(from San Francisco through Green Bay) The Dolphins were attracted to Davis' burst and ability to make plays on the ball. He could be used as a slot cover man to complement fellow draftee Jamar Taylor, an outside starter.
SCOUTING ANALYSIS
Davis is athletic, play faster than he times and has a slender build and good height. He has great hip flex to turn and run with receivers after their breaks. He makes his biggest impact in coverage because his hands are always around the ball.
Davis shows great ability to track the pass with great timing to go battle a receiver in the red zone or down the sideline. He is a willing tackler but must refine his fundamentals and not lunge when coming up in run support or on a receiver crossing the field. His upper body strength isn't great but has the feet and athleticism to play press coverage.
Davis isn't a project but isn't a finished product either. He must show he can play better versus the run.— Chad Dinkins, Optimum Scouting
Davis is a very smooth athlete with the quick feet to help him plant and drive on the ball. He shows the loose hips that allow him to turn and run with receivers down field. Once the ball is in the air he shows the skills to track and attack the ball at its highest point. He has a nice frame and does a nice job of being physical when in tight man coverage
NEGATIVES
Will is a bit slender and needs to add weight to continue to be physical with receivers at the snap. Although he runs well he lacks the elite speed to play catch up if a receiver gets behind him. He is limited by his lack of experience and can be beat easily on double moves because he will play too aggressive at times. Needs to improve technique especially tackling
ANALYSIS
Will Davis took a roundabout way to Utah St after his original school, Western Washington drop its program and he detoured to a Junior College. After transferring to Utah St., Davis instantly made the quick transition and made an impact on defense including 5 starts. Athletically he is very good, but raw. He has a nice back pedal and the agility to match up against most receivers. He has good speed but lacks a burst that would be needed to recover if beat. Overall Will Davis is worth a 4th round pick and could develop into a starter at the NFL level. At worst he could play the nickel and add quality depth for just about any defense.
Davis had a big 2012 campaign with five interceptions and 24 pass breakups. He has shown he can play in man coverage. Davis can change directions and a quick burst. He has enough speed to run with receivers.
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Miami added talent to the offensive line with the addition of Tennessee OLT/OLG Dallas Thomas with their 77th pick in the 3rd round. Thomas has the ability to play OLT and moved inside to OLG his senior season. He has good size at 6'5 1/2, 306 lbs and the frame to still put on good weight. Is stout at the point of attack and can handle power with a strong base. Can pull and has good balance, slide, seal and substain. Probably is a better fit inside at OG, and certainly has the ability to come in and compete for a starting position on the offensive line.
The Dolphins traded pick #82 in the 3rd round to the New Orleans Saints and gained (2) 4th round picks, #106 & #109. The Dolphins now have (3) 4th round picks and (3) 5th round picks.
What he brings: Thomas has the versatility to line up at tackle and at guard. While he lacks an ideal inline power base, he makes up for it with quickness and lateral agility, making him an ideal fit for a zone blocking scheme. In addition, he is polished in terms of technique and has excellent hand placement. Thomas also is consistent in space when climbing to the second level or covering up defenders on the move.
How he fits: Although the Dolphins continue to try to replace left tackle Jake Long, they also have problems inside at the guard position. They fixed one with the acquisition of right guard Lance Louis from Chicago. But the weak link of this unit is probably left guard Richie Incognito. That gives Thomas a chance to compete for a starting position, and at the very least be a swing inside player.
OVERALL FOOTBALL TRAITS
Production
1
2008: Redshirt 2009: Played 13 games (0 starts) 2010: Started all 13 games at LOT. 2011: Started all 12 games at LOT. 2012: Started all 12 games at LOG
Height-Weight-Speed
2
Has prototypical OT height. A bit lean but continues to add bulk to frame. Straight-line burst is adequate-to-good.
Durability
1
Has played in 41 consecutive games, including 37 consecutive starts to end his career.
Intangibles
2
Soft-spoken type. Team player. Made move to LOG in 2012 spring after 25 starts at LOT so team can get best five OL on field. Solid student. Son of Dawn Thomas.
OFFENSIVE GUARD SPECIFIC TRAITS
Pass Protection
2
Natural knee bender. Quick set and has very good overall balance. Appears on tape to have very long arms and big hands. Effective mirror-and-slide. Good range but can struggle at times when having to quickly recover laterally after oversetting initially. Is a bit light in the trunk. Will get knocked back initially by powerful rushers. Usually is able to sink hips and reset in order to stymie, but not often enough. Tends to let pads rise after initial contact and gets hands too high, which negates his leverage. Needs to be more consistent with hand placement. Upper body power is adequate but not good. Improved power in initial punch would help his game tremendously.
Run Blocking
3
Not dominant but very effective. Fires out quickly and takes good angles. Has good range as a run blocker. Light on feet. Under control in space. Would fit nicely in a zone-blocking scheme in NFL. Good balance and leverage. Moves feet effectively after initial contact. Narrow based blocker. Needs to improve overall strength. Does not consistently drive defenders off the line but has adequate-to-good initial pop when coming forward and keeps feet moving after initial contact, which allows him to maintain good positioning and sustain run blocks. Brings some toughness to the table.
Awareness
2
Knows his assignments. Shows good feet/timing on combo blocks. Awareness versus blitz is adequate-to-good. Keeps eyes up and locates delayed blitzers off the edge and late developing twits/stunts. Occasionally will be a quarter-count late to react on fast developing twists/stunts. Does a consistently good job of locating assignment as a second-level run blocker.
Toughness
3
Not a mauler but flashes a noticeable mean streak. Delivers punch with purpose. Effort is adequate for the most part but occasionally will fail to work through the whistle. Content at times to wall off in run game.
Even though Thomas grew up in Louisiana and was recruited by in-state LSU, he decided he could make a quicker impact at Tennessee. Thomas redshirted in 2008, and then played all 13 games on special teams the following season. When finally given his chance as a sophomore, Thomas won the team’s Harvey Robinson Award as the offensive surprise player of 2010 spring practices and then proved himself durable and reliable by starting all 13 games at left tackle. He started every game on the blind side as a junior, as well, with his best effort possibly coming against South Carolina defensive ends Melvin Ingram and Jadaveon Clowney –- they combined for just two tackles, none for loss and no sacks, on the day.
In order for the team to get their five best offensive lineman on the field in 2012, Thomas moved from left tackle to left guard. In this year, his senior season, Thomas earned second-team All-SEC honors. Thomas finished his career by starting his final 37 games.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Displays the potential to start as either a tackle or guard in the NFL. Plays with natural bend in the knees, and flexbility. Possesses excellent agility. Can sit down into his blocks and anchor. Can block down yet spring back outside to cut off outside blitzers, also gets to second level quickly and shows good speed and hustle downfield. Very good at pulling, and is always attempting to drive his assignment to the ground. Maintains balance while extending his arms to keep outside rushers out of the pocket, does not give up after initial contact. Good recovery speed to cut off spin and inside counter moves. Goes out to meet his man and packs a punch to stop their momentum. Comes off the ball very well from a three-point stance in the run game.
WEAKNESSES
Foot quickness is a bit lacking. Must continue to get stronger in the lower body, will give up a bit of ground against powerful defenders -– especially when he fails to land his punch correctly. Must consistently get his hands up quickly, both in pass protection and when trying to negate second-level defenders. Lunges towards his man out of a three-point stance on occasion, overextending to allow him to pass by.
NFL COMPARISON
Rodger Saffold
BOTTOM LINE
Thomas has three years of starting experience in the SEC under his belt. He spent his Sophomore and Junior seasons at left tackle, before moving to guard in his senior season. Thomas plays with great flexibility. He also has the ability to anchor into his blocks. Thomas likely profiles better as an offensive guard, but is capable of playing left tackle in the NFL, despite less than ideal foot quickness. Thomas should be a top-50 selection.
Moving from left tackle to left guard to clear the way for Antonio Richardson, Thomas set aside his goals to improve Tennessee's line as a senior. he impressed scouts with his team-first approach and unselfish attitude. Comfortable with guard footwork and taking such technique with him to the left tackle position, Thomas shuffles rather than kick sliding, showing a sudden, choppy and largely effective pass set.
Being a natural knee bender, Thomas anchors and absorbs surprisingly well versus power rushers, despite lacking plus strength or pop in his hands and hips at the point of attacks. His reps at guard as a senior did not help his progression as a tackle and only reinforced his shuffling technique on the perimeter. Moreover, his apparent lack of strength shows in his inability to create movement and drive in the running game.
Compensating for his lack of strength however, Thomas does a nice job of turning defenders in the hole by cutting off the man in front of him, positioning himself with a wide base and anchoring down at the point of attack; simple and effective, Thomas yielded no ground in using such technique and proved himself capable of opening running lanes.
Thomas excels as a second-level blocker, displaying a quick burst along with the coordination and balance to break down in the open field and lock on at the point of attack. Hand placement and overextension at the point of attack cause some inconsistencies, but, when correct with his technique, Thomas flashed elite ability in this facet.
Able to sustain blocks with his lower half strength and natural bend, Thomas shows the understanding of how to anchor on the move. The speed with which Thomas cuts off linebackers and the ideal angles he takes make him especially effective on the move and confirm the movement skills.
Considering his size, length and feet Thomas brings more upside and a higher ceiling at left tackle. On the flip side Thomas also shows the mobility, second-level blocking ability and lateral quickness to contribute right away as a guard in a zone-blocking scheme. The versatility to play both positions is a plus.
While his physical tools warrant a second round pick, a torn right labrum at the Senior Bowl will likely push Thomas into the third round, where he'll provide excellent value for NFL teams. —Alex Brown, Optimum Scouting
It is refreshing to evaluate an offensive linemen who uses his hands aggressively to punch defender and blocks with a "take no prisoners" attitude. His good core/natural strength looks even better when he pops pass rusher with hard punch as he often is able to stop them in their tracks. Maintaining pass blocks once he gets a good "fit" on defensive linemen looks easy because he blocks with good base and can slide side to side with ease. Having played offensive tackle his final two seasons at Tennessee, Thomas has the versatility to not only play guard in the NFL, but could also be a swing tackle. While his aggressive hand use helps him in pass pro, his aggressive attitude and playing strength make him a good in-line run blocker. He has consistently shown the ability to tie up head-up defensive linemen to keep hole open for running back and is able to collapse line on down/side block to open large hole. Being able to maintain base helps Thomas to move through the line to block effectively on the second level.
NEGATIVES
Despite showing ability to be dominant in pass pro when he uses hands to aggressively punch defensive lineman and get a good "fit," he does not punch as consistently as he needs to and it allows explosive off the ball power rushers to jolt him and drive him backwards when he is not aggressive with hands. The reason he will likely have to play inside at guard in the NFL is that despite having good feet, he lacks the top end foot quickness to consistently slide out to the corner in time to set and take on speed rushers before they can turn the corner. In addition, he has a bad habit of stopping his shuffle, crossing over and chasing man after making initial contact, which leaves the corner wide open. On film Thomas looks very trim and in shape, but he will likely need to add some bulk/weight to play effectively at guard in the NFL.
ANALYSIS
While many offensive linemen do not jump off the film, Thomas often did because of his aggressive use of hands and overall blocking demeanor. His heavy, two handed punch can stop pass rushers in their tracks and once he gets a good "fit" on man it is usually over. Thomas is never going to win any races in the 40, but he is a good athlete who can get to the second level to block effectively and can make the short pull to lead block well on outside runs. Having played tackle and guard at Tennessee definitely improves Thomas value because he brings great versatility to his team. Despite our belief that he is best suited to playing guard in the NFL, the reality is that at his size and with his experience playing inside and outside, he could realistically develop into a starter at any of the five offensive line positions. Overall, Thomas is likely to be a second or third round draft pick and is the type of lineman that I believe will win a starting job early in his career (Likely as a rookie) and be a good, solid starter for many years.
Thomas was an offensive tackle who started for two seasons before moving inside to guard this past year. He was 2nd team all-conference this past season in a league with some outstanding guard talent. His versatility makes him more coveted because he can play multiple OL positions on the front.
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Miami traded one of their 4th, 5th and 7th round picks to get back into the 3rd round to Green Bay and took CB Will Davis of Utah State. Davis has nice size at 5'11 1/4. 186 lbs. Excellent man cover corner and is very fluid, athletic and flexible. Effortless pedal and transition with speed to run deep. Very good ball skills and hand quickness. The Combine top performer in the 3 cone drill with a 6.52. The biggest issue for Will is he needs to get stronger to deal with bigger wide receivers.
Miami added talent to the offensive line with the addition of Tennessee OLT/OLG Dallas Thomas with their 77th pick in the 3rd round. Thomas has the ability to play OLT and moved inside to OLG his senior season. He has good size at 6'5 1/2, 306 lbs and the frame to still put on good weight. Is stout at the point of attack and can handle power with a strong base. Can pull and has good balance, slide, seal and substain. Probably is a better fit inside at OG, and certainly has the ability to come in and compete for a starting position on the offensive line.
