A strong force in Wyatt Davis is off to the 2021 NFL Draft
The 2021 NFL Draft class keeps officially getting stronger as players all over the country are opting out of the 2020 season in favor of training their bodies for the next level. While multiple players opted out last week, there were none bigger than Ohio State right guard Wyatt Davis, who called his decision “heartbreaking” as the Big Ten continues to waffle on a Fall season.
Just a redshirt Junior, Davis made the decision best for him, and that decision was not to let the current health crisis and the leadership of the Big Ten make that decision for him. He is presumably a top interior offensive lineman in the 2021 NFL Draft class, but we will take to the tape here to see how that withholds.
The two-year starter at Ohio State has earned a handful of accolades and has drawn quite a bit of attention to the Ohio State offensive line with his dominant performance. Just one of three names to know in terms of next year’s draft, Davis is joined by center Josh Myers and left tackle Thayer Munford as prospects to watch this upcoming season (should the conference vote to move up the start date).
Named as a First-Team All-American a season ago by the Associated Press, Sporting News, and CBS, Davis has proven himself to be one of the top linemen in the nation with his performance a year ago. As we turn to the tape, we will look at his strengths, where he has room to improve, and what his NFL Draft projection may look like as he is now off to the next level.
Where Wyatt Davis wins
The force that Davis plays with is on another level and is the first thing that pops out when looking at his tape. Davis rarely gets blown off the line of scrimmage in the run game, and if he does get moved in pass protection, he shows a great ability to anchor in and recover in order to stall and pass rush attempt and keep his quarterback upright.
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In the run game, Davis has an uncanny understanding of leverage both in his hips and with his shoulders. Not only is Davis often the lowest man, but he knows how to bounce from the first to second level without getting washed by a defensive tackle by keeping his lead shoulder clean as he works upfield. There is nothing more that Wyatt loves that to finish the man in front of him, playing with a nasty edge to his game.
While Davis is not known for his ability to move laterally, this is often an area of weakness overblown as his tape proved he has the ability to get wide on pulls, and get upfield to the second level with a high level of efficiency. He is an efficient pass protector, showing the ability to switch off as delayed pressure arrives into his zone as well. Putting those reps on tape and in his portfolio will make Davis an appealing prospect as he is not scheme dependent and can play in a variety of offensive systems.
Moving to his hands, Davis packs a violent initial punch on the opposing defender, but wins with accurate hand placement and a strong ability to latch inside the breastplate as he looks to drive his opponent into the dirt. Patient, physical, and disciplined, Davis brings a ton to the table with the 2021 NFL Draft on the horizon; where can he improve, however?
Where he shows room for improvement
While Davis cannot prove he picked up new tricks and improved in 2020 after declaring for the draft, he can get with his coach and pound the pavement from now until he enters an NFL facility as a member of a professional football team. Most of his room for improvement comes not initially in the play, but as the play drags on into the third or fourth seconds.
We already know Davis is a physical, brutal player at the line of scrimmage who barely surrenders the point of attack. However once he works his way up to the second level, he continues to look for the crushing blow to the linebacker or safety he meets there. While he lands occasionally, creating a monster highlight, the more disciplined approach would be to square up to the defender and latch in order to clear a breakaway lane for his ball carrier.
In his pass set as well, Davis has the tendency to let his guard down if no initial pressure is presented to him. This causes his feet to slow down and freeze, and for him to default into double teaming the man closest to him. When delayed pressure arrives then, Davis has to urgently get back into position to counter the attack, which does not allow for him to square up on the defender and engage him in the chest, but instead at the shoulder.
As we now move on, what does Davis’ outlook provide as he prepares for the main event next April?
Davis’ 2021 NFL Draft projection
Davis was an absolute stud and foundational piece of the offense for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and will prove to be a day-one starter at the next level as well. The question remains, however, given the priority on the position he plays: what is his 2021 NFL Draft outlook and what round does he project most into?
The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs seems to have a love of Davis as well, stating in his scouting report:
"“Wyatt inherited the natural skill for the game; he’s fluid, powerful and offers impressive body control to apply overwhelming force from any angle — regardless of whether he’s flowing with outside zone, double teaming a NT or peeling back late to absorb a gap shooter from the second level. He’s seamless in transitions to pass off defenders in pass protection and does well to sit up on his hips; allowing his lower body power to anchor his play. He’s a universal prospect — it doesn’t what style system you run; he’s going to make your line better.”"
On film, there is without a doubt in this writer’s mind that he is one of the top-32 players in this year’s draft class, and probably a top-15 guy when it is all said and done. However, we could see Davis slide into the late first round or even the second round as interior offensive linemen are often times pushed down the board for positions of a higher priority.
However, should he go to the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of Winter and prove to be more athletic than he is often times given credit for, then he could see a significant rise up the draft board and to his stock. It is not often we see interior guys drafted before the top-10, with Quinton Nelson being the most recent outlier of that, but Davis has the discipline and tools to insert his name into a top-15 pick.
An all-around rock solid player, Davis looks to be a plug-and-play guy along a team in need of an interior offensive lineman. With a few areas to clean up, Davis could be well on his way to a long and successful NFL career.