Run Defense
The way in which different defensive schemes ask their edge defenders to play in the run game varies and it is still uncertain how the new-look Panthers’ defense will ask the ends to play, but regardless of scheme, there are some common traits which can be assessed. What Davenport was rarely asked to do as a 3-4 rush linebacker at UTSA was to anchor against the run, and it is true that he will likely need to add some weight to his lower body in order to improve in this area. However, there were times when, as a crashing end, he was forced to take on an offensive lineman head on and he did show both good power to engage the blocker and the awareness to disengage to make a play on the ball carrier:
He also showed the same dip, burst and bend that he used as a pass rusher when used in gap penetration. On the following play, he is able to dip underneath the arms of the tackle and burst through the 3-gap to make a tackle for a loss:
What is also promising is how he uses his hands. On both of the following plays, he does get quite high but uses his hands extremely well to prevent the blocker from being able to get their hands inside and so is able to easily disengage and make the tackle. In the second play, the power of his hands is evident, as he is able to easily swat the tackle aside.
There are, of course, things that he needs to work on, but the core skills shown here are again promising. However, what these last two plays also expose is his biggest issue: his play height.
The Work Left To Do
It is not exactly news that the players leaving college are not as developed as the NFL would ideally like, and that is especially true of those coming from smaller schools such as UTSA. What teams need to estimate is whether the skills that a player lacks are simply due to a lack of suitable coaching or whether they are due to either physical or mental limitations on behalf of the player. For Davenport, the clear question mark is his erratic play height; having not been asked to play out of a three-point stance, it is also unclear whether this would be better or worse if he were used as a DE in the Panthers’ 4-3 system.
It is easy to see the issues that a high pad level can create on plays like the following, with Davenport nearly standing upright entering contact, he is easily jacked up and negated.
The only time Davenport was asked to work out of a three-point stance was at the combine, and here it is clear to see how he is too quick to straighten up coming out of his stance:
Any team that looks to draft him will likely want to work him out to see if this can be coached out of him, with a possible ray of sunshine being how he showed the ability to work at a lower level during some of the other combine drills:
While this is far from conclusive evidence, Davenport does appear to be able to bend in the way needed to play at a better level, and it might simply be due to bad habit; if he can fix this, then he has a very good chance of being successful at the NFL level, but if not, this could well be the thing that limits him.
The Bonus
One thing that begins to stand out about Davenport on tape is how he is able to affect passes even when he doesn’t get the sack; some of this comes in the form of near-misses, where despite not getting the sack, he is able to get a hit on the quarterback:
But a lot of it comes from an awareness of where the ball is and how to affect it. He demonstrates a similar awareness in the run game, as can be seen above, but the ability to keep looking at the quarterback while still being effective as a pass rusher isn’t as common as might be thought; on both of the following plays, Davenport is able to affect the pass despite being blocked to an extent that prevents him from getting to the quarterback:
This is something that is stressed in coaching: the ability to affect the game even when the initial pass rush fails; Davenport seems to have taken it to heart. Finally, he is able to affect the game through fear. On this final play, he is able to get in the face of the quarterback, likely forcing the mistake, and he shows the ability to turn that mistake into points:
There is no questioning Davenport’s potential, as his combination of speed, power and hand usage hints at an elite defensive end. However, much of his success will depend on his ability to be teachable, and whether he is able to get his play height under control. If he can do this, then the sky is very much the limit on his talents.
Best Case NFL Comparison: Julius Peppers
Worst Case NFL Comparison: Charles Harris
One Sentence To Tell Your Friends On Draft Night: “He flashes everything you might want in an edge rusher; speed, power and hand usage; but his career will likely be determined by how consistently he is able to use these skills and whether he can get his pad level under control.”
Grade: A-
