2020 NFL Draft Scouting Report: LB Akeem Davis-Gaither

Big Board ranking: #51

Positional ranking: #5

 

Overview

Position: LB

College: Appalachian State

Class: Senior

Age: 22

 

Measurables

Height: 6’1 1/2″

Weight: 224 lbs.

Arm length: 31 1/8”

Hand size: 9 1/2″

 

Athletic testing

40-yard dash: N/A

Vertical jump: N/A

Broad jump: N/A

Bench press: 21 reps

3-cone drill: N/A

Short shuttle: N/A

 

Strengths

Elite speed and athleticism. Exceptional range as both a tackler and in coverage. Very twitchy/bouncy athlete. Top-notch acceleration. Light on his feet. Effortless mover in space. Plays longer than his measurements. Great reaction time and change-of-direction skills. Very good play recognition. Remarkable bend to dodge blocks and make a tackle. Aggressive as a tackler. Wraps up for the most part. Cleans up plays as a backside defender. Fights to make plays through traffic despite size. Does a quality job using hands to stay clean. Comfortable as a very wide linebacker in the slot. Jumps at the line of scrimmage or flies around in space to deflect passes. Mostly played zone coverage but has the profile to be an eraser in man coverage. Used as an edge rusher in late-game situations. Played great against top competition.

 

Weaknesses

Rarely lined up as a traditional, inside-the-box linebacker. Overall size is below average for the next level. Will be moved when blockers get to his frame. Sometimes misses by going low on a free shot. Recovering from stress fracture in foot that required surgery.

 

NFL comparison

Deion Jones

 

Conclusion

Overall, Davis-Gaither has the potential to be a dynamic linebacker with tremendous movement skills in coverage paired with requisite aggressiveness as a tackler. I think he can be projected as a starter at any off-ball linebacker spot and is worth at least an early Day 2 selection, but even just seeing the field in sub packages would give Davis-Gaither great value for an NFL team.