2020 NFL Draft: Auburn’s Derrick Brown anchors D-Line class

Without a doubt, Raekwon Davis should be number two on this list. He should be competing with Derrick Brown for the number one spot among defensive linemen. He should be a no-brainer first-round pick.

At all times, Davis is one of the strongest, most explosive athletes on the field. He’s an imposing 6’6″ tall and a lean 316 pounds. He’s a prototype five-technique. He had 8.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2017. For some reason, none of that seems to be adding up to Davis being a consensus top-15 pick.

I could detail his beautiful set of pass-rushing techniques, or how much of a monster he can be in the run game. How he plays with excellent leverage in spite of his behemoth size. How fast and agile he is at a position that is hungry for his 2017 style of play.

The problem is, he registered 1.5 sacks in 2018. With Quinnen Williams beside him, making a mockery of interior offensive linemen across the nation, Davis never took advantage.

Davis, for all his skill, makes plays as they come rather than going out of his way to show why he’s so impressive.

Davis admitted himself prior to the season opener that he didn’t take 2018 as seriously as he should have and that he already had his eyes set on the NFL. That’s mature of him. However, when the Duke Blue Devils lined up against his Crimson Tide in Atlanta, Davis was still a ghost for his defense, watching plays develop and checking out if the ball didn’t come to him.

If Davis wants to be taken in the first round, as he should be, he has to return to his 2017 form. Otherwise, he’ll tumble down draft boards across the NFL.