Wyatt Davis NFL Draft Overview
Position: Offensive Guard
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 315 Lbs.
School: The Ohio State University
Wyatt Davis Draft Profile
Playing three seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Wyatt Davis is one of the premium guards in his draft class. Out of the gate, Davis possesses things that coaches and front offices dream for in interior line talent. Davis has a mean streak and plays with tons of power; that’s two huge check marks on the prospect. However, like with all prospects, there are holes in his game and he’ll take a little time to get comfortable. While Davis could be a day-one starting guard, his technique needs some tweaking. Despite any shortcomings, Davis jumps off the page with his punch and effort. The guard is impossible to get around in bull rush methods of attack. He also fires off the snap with ease, using his momentum and power to stonewall defenders off-the-jump.
One thing that’s important to consider for Davis is the effect his conference’s handling of COVID-19 had on his season. Initially, Davis was amongst the players who opted out of the season. However, he rejoined the Buckeyes when the Big 10 announced its schedule. Certainly, the days between his departure and return impacted his ability to be at a peak performance level in 2020. Davis posted his worst season with Ohio State in 2020. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’s 118th ranked guard with a 66.3 offensive grade. However, during a more normal 2019 campaign, he graded out at 82.6 and amongst the top tier of blockers. Davis certainly needs to answer questions from teams about his slip in production. Granted, when they look back at the stability from the 2019 tape, teams are likely to be enticed by Davis.
Strengths
- Plays with a lot of physicality and is almost impossible to overwhelm on strength alone;
- Goes to war in the run game and seeks extra blocking opportunities down the field;
- Hard to move in the passing game, even harder to go around;
- Coordinates well with other members of the offensive line;
- Seems to take his quarterback’s well-being very personally;
- Seeks out blocks at the second level on the regular basis;
- Fires off the ball and packs a punch at the point-of-attack.
Weaknesses
- Inconsistency from year-to-year is certainly concerning;
- Doesn’t identify blitzes very well on his own;
- Gets confused by stunts on the defensive line;
- Can get beat on speed rushes from the secondary;
- Could certainly use a little work on his technique, which could fix other holes;
- Suffered a notable knee injury in the championship game.
NFL Comparison: David DeCastro
Teams With Need at Position: New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans
Projection: Early Second Round
Bottom Line on Wyatt Davis
Wyatt Davis won’t be the first offensive lineman off the board, but he’s someone who won’t last long in the draft. In a league that’s desperate for line talent, Davis provides relief from the first day he’s in a building. Thanks to that potential, Davis could sneak into the back end of the first round. Further, at Ohio State, he built up a ton of tape against elite defensive talent, so teams know what they can expect. Overall, he’ll need to work to round-out the issues in his game, primarily surrounding his awareness. While it won’t be fixed in a day, Davis has the make-up of a long-term starting talent at the professional level.
Potentially, the most important part of Davis’s game is his motor. On the tape, it’s evident that he takes protecting the quarterback very personally and punishes defenders who think they’re getting a free shot. Playing alongside Dwayne Haskins and Justin Fields, Davis proved a valuable protector for two high-quality college passers. Additionally, the benefit from that experience will be interesting to NFL front offices looking to protect their premium passing talent. At the next level, he’s going to be asked to knock-back professionals on a regular basis. Provided he did that against the likes of Penn State, Clemson, Alabama, and Michigan, Davis has plenty of evidence to show it’s in his future.
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