PROSPECT SUMMARY

Wyatt Davis projects well as a starting right guard at the NFL level and it should not take him very long to work himself into that role. Davis should be expected to claim a starting role during his rookie season in the NFL—thanks in large part to impressive NFL bloodlines and the mauling presence up front that will help create ample space in the run game. Davis is at his best on inside zone, where his blend of lateral mobility and functional power can combine to push and uproot defenders at the point of attack to create gaping lanes for his ball carriers. Davis is a multi-year starter with the Buckeyes and although his play peaked in 2019, there's a clear and obvious ceiling with Davis' game that would make him a game-changing presence up front along an NFL offensive line. Teams who implement more frequent outside zone concepts will need to provide some added focus to securing and sustaining blocks after first contact if they hope to unlock the best of what Davis has to offer, but a large part of his appeal is that he's got the physical tools to execute any kind of concept at a high level. Teams who love maulers are going to find him hard to ignore.

Ideal Role: Starting Right Guard (Plug & Play)

Scheme Fit: Scheme diverse but trends best in an inside zone heavy rush attack.

Film Evaluation

Written by Kyle Crabbs

Games watched: Penn State (2019), Michigan State (2019), Michigan (2019), Clemson (2019), Nebraska (2020), Michigan State (2020), Northwestern (2020)

Best Game Studied: Michigan (2019)

Worst Game Studied: Northwestern (2020)

Competitive Toughness: Davis is a jackhammer up front who will physically impose his will on smaller defenders who charge into his area at the point of attack. Davis generates strong movement on double teams and shows excellent backside effort to work into favorable fits on far-reaching landmarks. Davis' natural strength and hand power stand out as big-time assets to his game that will bail him out of his fair share of negative reps.

Balance: You wish he played a little bit more under control at times, his lapses in balance and control show up in space when looking to adjust and taper his angles to greet defenders on the move and also on occasion against shaded defensive linemen in hopes of quickly attaching to the body of his man. Weight distribution is effective if he's secured the hands and able to drive the feet and bring them under his hips on contact. His short-area redirection skills offer him plenty of appeal in short sets and slide protection.

Anchor Ability: For someone as physically powerful and imposing as Davis has shown to be on tape, you'd wish he's drop anchor a little quicker when he's forced to adjust late and absorb speed to power. He ultimately has the goods to pull the e-brake and provide his quarterback with room to work, but he's not an immovable object in pass protection and he's not immune from catching a set of hands with his chest if he's caught out in space trying to redirect if left on an island on deeper drops from his quarterback. He's more stout and impactful on the quick-game and rhythm passing knowing ball will be out quickly.

Lateral Mobility: His wide zone and outside zone abilities are enough to leave you feeling comfortable if that's where you're going to make your hay running the football. His appeal here is more so in his punch power in space than it is his ability to be silky in stringing out the LOS. He does lose some of the pop and twitch out of his stance when he's forced to open his hips and get width but he is still good in this regard.

Power at P.O.A.: There's an excellent level of pop here and Davis is at his best when he's stepping into contact by driving north out of his stance—if you encourage him to play forward you're going to get the best version of him to press defensive tackles via double teams, crash down on shaded interior defenders to create gaping holes, and the needed ability to climb to the B-level of the defense and create wash to pick off defensive flow. Visibly jolts defenders with his punch at first contact, which wins him plenty of reps early on.

Hand Technique: Continuing to add focus on securing and sustaining his hands after the first blow is an important variable for him to attend to. Too many times Davis generates space with a big blow but isn't able to reset the hook and reattach to the block in order to seal. It has sprung up both on reach blocks and on pulls when trying to kick out gap-shooters or the end man on the line of scrimmage.

Football IQ: Davis' vision and feel for navigating the defensive front are highly effective in zone concepts to feel when to claim space and when to create wash. Appreciate the sense and feel of securing double teams and passing off with his linemates. Davis does, at times, get by with more physical tools than technical prowess, but that's bittersweet in that he's also capable of creating ample improvement in his play with better fundamentals.

Versatility: If you're looking for a lineman who can fulfill a number of different roles or help craft a blend of the five best linemen getting onto the field, you've come to the wrong place—Davis is a right guard and doesn't appear to have the athleticism or footwork to play on the edge and he doesn't have the pad level and flexibility to play center. But if you're comfortable with a plug-and-play guard, Davis can do just about everything you would ask and can play inside zone, outside zone, gap/power, and everything in between. His pass sets are better suited for quick game but he's got the ceiling to become more consistent if he transitioned to a vertical passing offense in the pros.

Pass Sets: He's got a very good snap out of his stance and is capable of getting set up on his hips quickly to be ready to strike and play with his feet rooted in the ground. The longer he's left unattended, the more some of his physical warts become apparent. His ability to flash across large distances with explosiveness can be negated to some degree, but he'll never be accused of not looking for work if he's left unattended. His pad level can get the best of him at times and he'll sparingly let a defensive lineman work under his pads.

Flexibility: There's plenty of linear coil in his hips to explode on contact and punish defenders at the line of scrimmage. He's shown viable rotational mobility to flip his hips open and pull with needed precision behind the line of scrimmage. His knee bend only average, however, and as a result, you'll see some misplayed reps when looking to break down in space or trying to press back with explosiveness across his momentum late in pass sets.

Prospect Comparison: Ben Grubbs (2007 NFL Draft, Baltimore Ravens)