Jamin Davis shows encouraging signs of development vs Eagles
The second-year linebacker started to show glimpses of his overall potential.
Jamin Davis has received a ton of criticism since being drafted by the Commanders in the first round back in 2021. He’s failed to live up to expectations so far, following up a poor rookie season with a bad start to his second season. Both Head Coach Ron Rivera and Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio made separate public comments demanding more from Davis, which he clearly needs to provide, but it also felt odd to see him being the only one publicly criticised when the entire defense has had issues so far this season.
Against the Eagles though, despite the team ultimately losing, Davis put in a solid performance that both he and the team will hope can be a platform for him to build off going forward. In the preseason, I wrote about how he was playing much faster and more physical compared to last season, which has carried over to the regular season. However he was still making poor reads that left him out of position in the run game and he was struggling to cover routes out of the backfield too.
In this game against the Eagles, Davis certainly played faster but was actually starting to make the correct reads, get to the right spots and help make an impact on the field.
Early in the game, the Eagles attempted to run a sweep play to their left. This involves the two tight ends and the left tackle blocking down inside to allow both the left guard and center pull around to the edge to lead the way for the running back. Davis has been slow to read pulls and diagnose run plays in the past, in fact last week he misread a run play and took a step inside instead of flowing over the top to react to the pulling lineman. This time though, he makes the correct read and makes it quickly. As soon as he sees the left guard take his first step outside, Davis starts to work to the edge.
Because of his quick read and reaction, Davis is able to avoid the down blocks from the tight ends and left tackle and instead work outside to take on the pulling center. Davis plays physical as he lowers his shoulder and thumps the center with a strong hit, however he makes a slight mistake here. He attacks the inside shoulder of the center instead of the outside shoulder. This allows the center to withstand the impact of the block and enables the running back to continue on his path outside.
Ultimately Davis fell just short of making the play on that occasion, but it was a positive indicator that he was playing fast and making the correct reads early in the game. It might appear like a simple thing for Davis, or any NFL linebacker, to do, and it is. But its not something he was able to consistently do last year at the speed he did on this play, which is a sign of encouragement and development, however small.
While Davis wasn’t able to make the play on that occasion, his quicker reads and reactions did enable him to make some plays later in the game.
This time, the Eagles run a wide zone scheme to their left, away from Davis. On this run, the right guard is going to try and help the right tackle secure the defensive tackle before then working up to reach and cut off Davis. Last year, Davis was extremely slow to read these types plays and often got himself cut off very easily as a result. But here, we see a clear improvement from him. He reacts quickly enough to flow over the top of the guard, preventing the guard from cutting him off on the back side. Davis uses his hands to engage with the guard, but keeps him at arms length as he reads the runner to see if he intends to continue to the edge or cut his run back. Once the runner commits to the outside, Davis disengages with the guard quickly and shows his speed as he chases down the back to make the tackle for a minimal gain.
That play is one Davis wouldn’t have made last year. To read the play quickly enough to avoid getting cut off, engage with a blocker but keep him at arms length while reading the running back, then disengaging and showing off his athleticism to chase down the runner is just not something Davis was capable of last season. That’s another encouraging sign and a step in the right direction. It was a play that we can now use as a sign of his potential as a run defender, with clear range to chase down runners from the far side of the field. That’s what his athletic potential offers from an upside standpoint. Now it’s just a case of him being able to put that together on a regular basis.
With that athletic ability, Davis can be a highly impactful player. In fact, his athleticism was key to keeping Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in check as a runner. Hurts is an athletic quarterback that is a significant threat as a runner both as part of the run game and as a scrambling option when plays breakdown. In his first two games this season, Hurts ran the ball 28 times for 147 yards and three touchdowns at 5.25 yards per carry. Against Washington, Hurts carried the ball just nine times for 20 yards, with his longest gain being five yards (granted, the Eagles didn’t need him to run as much given how successful the passing game was). Davis was a significant part of why Hurts was kept in check as a runner.
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